Raphiabast Ráfia palm raffia (fiber) raffia (vezel) rafia rafia rafija raphia ίνες φοίνικα raffia רפיה Raffiabast Raphia Strong fiber from leafstalks of palms of the genus Raphia, native to Africa and other places. Raffia fibers are used in their natural state by splitting apart thick sections and knotting the ends together. The fibers are a pale cream color and are often dyed to bright colors. Raffia is used to make skirts, woven into baskets, hats, bags, and mats. It is also used to make a fine grade of paper similar to Japanese papers (AAT).