Making Space

We catch up with design maven Tracy Lynch, executive creative director of Clout/SA, to talk about her role in shaping South African design – and about Clout/SA’s latest office refurb.

WORDS Jo Buitendach PHOTOS Greg Cox, Suly Kuhn/Sanlam Ventures Foundation (Portrait), Supplied

Sitting down with dynamo Tracy Lynch feels a little like stepping into a creative whirlwind, ideas moving quickly and conversation flowing even faster. The Cape Town-based creative is in Johannesburg working on a new project, but we manage to pin her down for a conversation that is, above all, an uplifting dialogue about local creativity.

While Tracy is always on our radar for the exciting work she does within the creative industry – particularly the Nando’s Hot Young Designer Programme, which uncovers and mentors the next generation of designers and makers – we were keen to catch up about her career journey and Clout/SA. We also wanted to hear about their refurbished shared office space, which has a strong focus on local design.

Clout that counts

At its core, Clout/SA is a commercially sustainable, demand-driven initiative that champions South African creativity, connecting local designers and makers with opportunities at home and abroad. Through a carefully curated selection of furniture, lighting and decor, the platform highlights the strength of contemporary South African design while fostering meaningful relationships with clients and collaborators around the world.

Established with the iconic franchise restaurant Nando’s, Clout/SA was created to shine a light on the country’s design ecosystem. In 2018, it launched Portal to Africa, which began as a catalogue before quickly evolving into an online buying platform, connecting interior designers to South Africa’s leading design brands. Today, the portal – exclusively for interior designers working on Nando’s restaurants around the world – supports projects from Australia and the Middle East to the UK, North America and Africa, generating revenue for the local creative sector. Representing more than 70 designers and makers, Clout/SA has become one of the country’s key exporters of design, continuing to grow alongside a new generation of emerging talent. And all this is achieved with a full-time team of just seven, which is quite impressive.

To date, Clout/SA has collaborated with brands such as Heineken, Sol, Makers Landing and Naked Insurance, creating curated collections, design pieces and spaces that reflect each brand’s values while fostering meaningful partnerships with South African designers. They can develop entirely new custom pieces or adapt existing catalogue items to meet specific brand needs, a skill Tracy describes as “finding creative ways to connect brand values to creativity in the design sector”. With this flexible, tailored approach, Clout/SA continues to explore opportunities with new clients committed to authentic, locally driven design. They also work regularly with the who’s who of South African design, including Wiid Design, Pedersen + Lennard, Ananta Design Studio, Mash.T Design Studio, TheUrbanative, Pinda Design, Houtlander, Dokter and Misses, and Studio Kalki.

From painter to innovator

Tracy’s career path hasn’t been straightforward. She holds a master’s degree in fine arts from Stellenbosch University, a foundation she credits with teaching her to research, think critically and conceptualise. “The dialogue, process and experimentation skills at academic institutions are crucial for the design sector, and they’re often overlooked,” she says, reflecting on how this shaped her approach.

Her professional life began with a hands-on role as a scenic painter in the film industry, which gave her insight into collaborating on large production sites; and as a decorative painter for interior designers, which made her into a bit of an expert in techniques such as faux marble. She worked extensively with the design team behind Cécile & Boyd, initially on paint finishes and later as a stylist, before moving on to serve as a stylist and decor editor for leading South African design magazines. This multifaceted journey has resulted in the development of a combination of artistic sensibility, practical know-how and deep understanding of the South African design landscape.

Tracy’s trajectory took a bold turn when Nando’s invited her to contribute to the Central Kitchen project – the Johannesburg HQ and creative heart of Nando’s South Africa, built on the site of the original sauce-bottling plant. Inspired by the brand’s strong support for South African art, she challenged them to invest in local design too, asking, “Why not invest in South African design the way you do in South African art?” The project revealed a fresh aesthetic direction for the brand’s interior designs, and laid the groundwork for Tracy’s current role and the creation of Clout/SA. Today, Central Kitchen is a celebrated office and cultural space that embodies the Nando’s identity – and it features an extensive collection of local artworks and design pieces.

The art of workspaces

One of Clout/SA’s most recent projects is the third floor of the Union House building, which was recently refurbished as a shared space, breathing fresh life into Clout/SA’s Cape Town office and the Spier Arts Trust’s long-standing home on that floor. They operate on a relaxed model, Tracy says, so the teams use the same kitchen, the same booth. “If nobody’s there, you’re welcome to use a meeting room,” she says. “It’s very relaxed.”

The design honours the building’s industrial heritage while celebrating local craft . Original floors and ceilings were preserved and refreshed. Steel-frame screens reference the industrial aesthetic, and desks from Desktopia sit alongside works from the Spier Arts Trust collection. Flexible meeting pods, first introduced in the Nando’s Central Kitchen refurb, provide intimate corners for focused discussions.

For Tracy, the design of a workspace is about more than aesthetics. “Spaces can drain your energy. For creatives, it’s so interesting – and useful. If you turn it around and remove that harsh feeling, creating something more imaginative, you’re saying a lot about your intentions for a space.”

The office project was implemented by Acre Studio, in a collaborative partnership that blends Clout/SA’s creative direction and procurement with Acre’s technical excellence and attention to detail. The office blends various breakaway and meeting areas to support the way the team works today, whether on calls, collaborating on screens, or taking time to recharge. It reflects a human-centred approach to contemporary workplaces, and is a reminder that when a business invests in creativity and care, the space that we work in can become a much more inspiring place to be… | clout-sadesign.co.za

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