-
Meetlo’s Kharetsa wine and storage rack in solid oak and engineered matte-black surface. -
Seipone ba bogosi – “Mirror of Royalty” – celebrates femininity and masculinity in royalty. -
Semoya bench – the Spiritual bench – celebrates African ancestry and the connection to the roots of African spirituality. -
Setulo bar chair. -
Merafe chair. -
Seana Morena table. -
Setulo sa Bogosi chair. -
Kharetsa 3.0 server.
For furniture designer and Meetlo co-founder Oageng Manana, it’s all about blending innovation with African tradition to create memorable contemporary pieces.
WORDS Dumisani Mnisi PHOTOS Matlhatsimo Galanyane
Meetlo furniture designs are bold, resonant, and focused on preserving South Africa’s heritage, transforming interiors and celebrating identity. And head designer Oageng Manana, co-founder of the brand with his partner Tshegofatso Ramothibe, knew that he wanted to express himself through design at a young age. His earliest influence was his father – “a naturally curious man who loved figuring out how things were made, and just fixing anything”, he says. Oageng himself is a scientist at heart, with an honours degree in physics from the University of Johannesburg and another in medical physics from the University of Pretoria – and he eventually realised that he wanted to fuse creativity with material science. Design became that bridge.
“I love all design disciplines, but furniturewas the most accessible starting point. It became my first medium of expression, with the aim of expanding into other fields,” he explains.
Creating pieces that exude regality in both craftsmanship and naming, Oageng draws deeply from his upbringing in Klerksdorp in the North West. Born and raised among the area’s Batswana and Sotho communities, his aesthetic vocabulary has been shaped by these cultures. “My aim is to merge past and future aesthetics, imagining how modern African design could look.”
We spoke to Oageng to find out more.
“Meetlo means ‘customs’ in Sesotho, and this serves as a built-in guide for our design principles. I’ve always been committed to telling stories of the unsung and the marginalised, and to telling our own stories – the ones that we understand best. As a South African artist, designer and scientist, I wanted to use my work to preserve heritage, customs and history while translating them into functional, collectable pieces.”
“Everything I do starts with a moment of inspiration, whether it comes from a dream, a feeling, an event or an artefact. From there, I sketch or interpret the idea into a tangible, elemental form, then define the purpose, story, memory and function of the piece.”
“Material selection is an art in itself. It is the medium that carries the story and evokes the emotion. The materials must feel and look like the story we want to tell. From there, guided by the complexity of the piece, we move to manufacturing. We take our time, because the goal is timeless quality. Every piece goes through rigorous quality checks before completion.”
“My days are full. I am a partner to my business collaborator, Tshegofatso, and a father, so mornings begin with family and home life. Then I dive into managing the business, meeting clients, sourcing materials, and crisscrossing Joburg. Lunch is oft en from a street vendor – and in between, I carve out time to design.”
“The names of our pieces are in Sesotho and Setswana. In African cultures, naming carries history, identity, spirituality and belonging. By naming my pieces, I’m not only identifying them but also embedding purpose-driven messages in the work. It’s about cementing African identity on the global stage, and sparking curiosity around South African design and influences.”
“My garden inspires me, both as a designer and a creative. Working with soil teaches us patience, respect for process and humility. Nature does not follow our rules – yet it produces incredible beauty when given time and attention. To respect nature is to respect creativity. Nature is always in its element – and that is where I find mine.”
“If I had to single out favourites, two pieces hold meaning for me. The Semoya bench reflects my spirituality. It reimagines how an ancestral assembly area (kgotla/lekgotla) might look – particularly the benches where elders meet and deliberate – and is a handcraft ed tribute to that space. The Seanamarena office table is inspired by the Basotho Seanamarena blanket. I envisioned it as a luxury African executive piece, incorporating 100% brass, brass-dust engravings and soft genuine leather to make a bold statement about African luxury in the corporate world.”
“Next up for me is a solo multidisciplinary exhibition that unites visual arts and furniture design, bringing my full skill set into one space.” | @meetlo_studios
Don’t forget to sign up to our weekly newsletter for the latest architecture and design news.
