About Mbeleko

The Mbeleko baby sling is the creation of first time mother, Cathie Miller. Inspired by her young son Xander and links to a more instinctive culture she discovered the joys of baby wearing. Although there seemed a large array of baby slings and carriers readily available in Australia, there was no sling that felt just right and was effortless to use.

Being a creative and innovative young woman she began experimenting with baby slings for herself and her friends and develeoped the Mbeleko sling design which can't be beat for ease, versatility and comfort. Led by a genuine desire to make slings that are not only functional but also beautiful, she began the search for the gorgeous, often unique fabrics and trims that give each Mbeleko baby sling a distinctive and luscious style.

The word Mbeleko comes from Swahili, literally translated as a sling for carrying a child. Swahili is a traditional language of eastern Africa spoken in countries including Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. In these parts of Africa, just as in many cultures around the world, women have been carrying their children in cloth slings for centuries, understanding the importance of keeping baby close by. By carrying your child in an Mbeleko you can experience these benefits.

Caring for your Mbeleko
Here at Mbeleko we use the highest quality fabrics, soft and delicate to nurture your child, be it our 100% cotton poplins, silk brocades, vintage cottons, or hand printed cotton. Each Mbeleko is pre-washed in the highest quality, hypoallergenic, fragrance free detergent. Our anodised aluminum rings are designed specifically for use in baby slings and are pre-tested to withstand 150 kilograms.

Your Mbeleko is hand crafted with love. We suggest your treat it with love and look after it as you would a favorite item of clothing. We recommend that you wash your Mbeleko in cold water by hand or on the gentle cycle in your washing machine, and dry naturally on the clothesline. Depending on the fabrics and trims used in your particular Mbeleko it may require an iron after washing. You may use a warm to hot iron on all cotton Mbeleko baby slings and a cool iron on any silk trims or brocade on your baby sling.