COMPILED BY Gina Dionisio PHOTOS Supplied, Inge Prins & Sanri Pienaar (Mash.T Design Studio)

A much-anticipated highlight on the decor and design calendar, Decorex Cape Town offers those in the Mother City a chance to engage with local and international design and its makers.

Throughout the four-day exhibition, visitors will encounter designer-led installations, thought-provoking showcases and carefully considered spaces that invite a slower, more intentional way of engaging with design.

The showcase’s theme for 2026 is ‘The Soft Life’ – a deliberate recalibration of design’s current focus that reflects a global cultural shift towards balance and a more conscious way of living.

Here are our must-see highlights to help you plan your visit.

Ten x Ten

Ten x Ten is a new landmark feature of 100% Design Africa, presenting objects that prioritise craft, materials and meaning over trends.

The immersive installation brings together 100 of the most compelling design objects of 2026 across 10 categories that map design from floor to ceiling.

Contributors include Thabisa Mjo, Kartell, Willowlamp, Wiid Design, Romo Fabrics, Glo Lighting, Robin Sprong Wallpapers and a range of independent studios and makers.

Objects have been selected by Decorex co-creative directors Alan Hayward and Garreth van Niekerk, along with a panel of category experts, including Cape Town gallery Art Formes and Sinegugu Ngxongo – granddaughter of master weaver Beauty Ngxongo and founder of Bambizulu.

100% Fresh

Spotlighting students, recent graduates and young studios, 100% Fresh showcases emerging design talent. Here, visitors encounter new ideas, prototypes and work that presents a unique point of view.

Capitec Design MRKT

The MRKT has become one of the show’s most dynamic spaces – a fully fledged artisanal market celebrating Pan-African design – giving visitors the opportunity to take home their favourite pieces of design from the continent.

Future Talks

The four-day programme of live conversations covering topics across architecture, materiality, business, cultural exchange and emerging practice returns to Decorex Cape Town.

Hosted by Bathandwa Ngwendu and presented in partnership with Oggie, this year’s programme features more than 40 speakers and is designed for trade professionals, creatives, media and design enthusiasts alike.

The Soft Life Kitchen by Numu

Numu’s feature installation explores how the kitchen is becoming one of the most intelligent and emotionally attuned spaces in the home.

The installation features high-performance Blum and Salice systems, arabesque veining, deep chocolate wood tones, architectural curves and integrated lighting, creating a kitchen where daily rituals feel easier, more beautiful and more intuitive. It’s a true celebration of this year’s theme, ‘The Soft Life’.

Soft Life Pods

Like The Soft Life Kitchen, the Soft Life Pods bring this year’s theme into physical form through a series of intimate, designer-led spaces that explore comfort, tactility, atmosphere and the future of wellness-driven living.

Each pod offers a different interpretation of softness. This year’s participating designers and brands include Karoo Baba, ARCPOP Architecture, Art & Design, Styleast and Constantia Fabrics, each creating a spatial experience shaped by material, mood, light, texture and ritual.

FloodLight

A new feature at this year’s Decorex Cape Town, FloodLight celebrates some of the best local lighting design, brought together within a showcase shaped by the 2026 theme. At its heart is the idea of light as soft power: not simply as function, but as atmosphere, emotion and a tool for wellbeing.

Developed as a collaboration between Decorex and spatial lighting designer Martin Döller, the feature adds an experiential layer to the installation, using light to create mood, depth and theatre across the space.

FloodLight reflects the strength and variety of South African lighting design right now, featuring work by Martin Döller, Mash.T Design Studio, TheUrbanative, Joe Paine and more.

The Recharge Garage

The Recharge Garage, presented by Lexus, is a design-led feature that reimagines the garage as more than a place to park.

Anchored by the Lexus RZ 500e and designed by Tshepo Sealetsa, the space explores the garage as a threshold between movement and home: a place to arrive, pause, restore and reset.

Dates & Times

25 – 28 June 2026 | Cape Town International Convention Centre | Open daily 10am–6pm | decorex.co.za

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The post What to See at Decorex Cape Town 2026 appeared first on Visi.

WORDS Steve Smith PHOTOS Hannah St Clair, Matt Slater

There were many reasons to be at Cape Town Furniture Week this year. And given that the event experienced yet another jump in both public attendance and industry participation, those reasons were clearly compelling.

One was to take in the latest work by South Africa’s inspirational design community as, once again, our furniture makers, ceramicists and lighting designers chose CTFW to showcase their newest creations. Among those, signalling CTFW’s growing national status, was an exhibition called Totemic, with work by two of Joburg’s design superstars – TheUrbanative’s Mpho Vackier and Thabisa Mjo of Mash.T Design Studio. Proving that the event is also on the international map was Danish brand HAY, who chose CTFW for the global unveiling of its Deville outdoor collection at the Inova Concept Store. There was also an Italian creative programme hosted by the Consulate of Italy, who brought in designer Francesca Lanzavecchia as the 2026 Italian design ambassador to South Africa.

Another reason was to see what venue founders Gareth and Aimée Pearson had selected to be the CTFW Festival Hub. In what’s become a trademark for the event, every year sees the main design hub in a different space in the city – one that isn’t usually associated with hosting a public event. In 2025, it was the old St George’s Grammar School hall behind the cathedral; this year it was the former Barclays Bank/FNB building in St Georges Mall, designed by Sir Herbert Baker in the mid-1930s. This granite and sandstone leviathan, with its massive bronze doors and teak-framed windows, hosted the CTFW x VISI Design Prize finalists on the ground floor, and a showcase of more than 40 exhibitors on the two floors above that.

But I’ll tell you my favourite reason: it’s how CTFW makes me feel about the city and country we live in. There hasn’t exactly been an avalanche of reasons to feel proud as a South African over the past few decades, and our creative community has often felt like the sole provider of light on gloomy days. The quality of the work shown at CTFW was, once again, not just an aesthetic joy but a restorative provider of hope.

With Cape Town’s many studios and showrooms hosting their own associated events and activations, CTFW is also the perfect time to experience the inner city. Armed with a CTFW-supplied map, you could explore the design districts on your own, or join the daily festival programme that moved between the five districts on different days (Central City, De Waterkant, East City & Lower Gardens, Woodstock/ Salt River/Observatory, Kloof Street).

CTFW x VISI Design Prize

The awards recognise new objects that contribute to South African design as a whole. Designers and brands were invited to submit one product released within the last year; from the 30+ entrants, a shortlist of 12 was selected. The finalists were on display at the Festival Hub over the four days, where they were judged on three criteria – Authenticity, Design and Advancement – by a panel made up of Chiara Piperni of EDIT Napoli design fair; fashion designer Sindiso Khumalo; UK design journalist Roddy Clarke; artist, curator and gallery director Lebo Kekana; and me.

The winners were announced on Friday night, at an event beneath the vaulted, Italian travertine-lined ceilings of Barclays Bank/FNB’s old banking hall. Each winner received a ceramic trophy designed by Vorster & Braye.

The winner of the Design category was Gqeberha-based DEFT Studios’ playful Checkmate console, which showed off Martin Tallie and Zani Alberts’s ability with wood. Described as the most difficult piece they’d ever made, Checkmate features an exaggerated sculptural form and playful curves, crafted with complex techniques.

The Authenticity award went to Ndivhuho Rasengani and his mesmerising incense burner. You probably wouldn’t usually take much notice of an object such as this – incense burners are simple and functional, leaning naturally towards a minimalist aesthetic. Ndivhuho’s sculptural HeldSmoke burner was anything but that: part cityscape, part sci-fi, it was inspired by his recent residency in Shanghai, and his personal practice of mindfulness and meditation rituals.

The Advancement category went to another giant of local design, Laurie Wiid, and his Massa Forma table. For the judges, the award was as much about Wiid Design’s striking table with its monolithic corked base and glazed ceramic tile top, as it was about the pioneering work Laurie has done with sustainable cork as a premium material.

The main award on the evening – the overall CTFW x VISI Design Prize for 2026 – went to a collaboration between Stripped Studio and rising-star designer Tom Lead: the Koppie chair. During the consideration phase for this award, the judges look for a piece that advances

South African design – and the Koppie chair’s design and execution were both exceptional. The three-legged chair transcends the inherent challenges of its form, managing to be both robust and delicate. We love the way it references the stance and proportional logic of the traditional African tripod stool, and reinterprets it as a contemporary dining chair with beautifully detailed joinery.

If you’ve been to any of the previous three CTFWs, you’ll have seen just how much this wonderful event has grown from that first little pop-up venue in 2023. Thanks to the efforts of founders Gareth and Aimée, CTFW has grabbed the attention of the entire South African design community – and of international brands too. VISI has been a massively proud supporter of this bright light on the international design map – and you can be sure that 2027 is going to be yet another step up. Block off mid-to-end February in your diary! | capetownfurnitureweek.co.za

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WORDS Gina Dionisio PHOTOS Justin Patrick, Elsa Young

Since 2016, the biennial Nando’s Hot Young Designer (HYD) talent search has unearthed the hottest emerging designers in the country, offering a coveted business-accelerator opportunity. The last decade has seen the best young local talent share their designs for lights, patterns, benches, and servers, which have been featured in Nando’s restaurants worldwide.

For the sixth edition of Nando’s HYD, entrants have been set the challenge of designing a striking ‘linear light’ (think directional lighting hung above a long table or counter).

For Nando’s HYD, the aim is to design a linear light that will shine in any Nando’s restaurant, anywhere in the world. Sculptural and crafted elements could introduce texture and colour, while combinations of materials create unique and interesting pieces that contribute to the overall design of the restaurant interior. Handmade details, created in collaboration with crafters, could be important aspects of the concept. Installation and longevity are vital; demonstrating how the piece – which should be no longer than 1.4 m and weigh under 28 kg – will be transported and installed will add value.

For the 2026 edition, the Nando’s HYD business-accelerator opportunity will unfold in three phases:

• Application phase: aspiring designer-makers submit their entries.
• Shortlist phase: finalists are chosen to develop prototypes of their designs.
• Final stage: a winning designer-maker will be selected and will receive a programme of tailored support, which will include mentorship, market access, showcasing opportunities, and community engagement with South Africa’s premier designer-makers.

Nando’s HYD is the centrepiece of the Nando’s Design Programme and, over the years, has propelled numerous local design careers, including those of Thabisa Mjo of Mash T. Design, Siviwe Jali, and Nindya Bucktowar and Nikhil Tricam of Studio Kalki.

The talent search is managed on behalf of Nando’s by Clout/SA – a business-to-business market maker that celebrates the vision and vitality of South African design. “At Clout/SA, we celebrate the creative pulse of South African design by sharing our curated collections of furniture, lighting, and decor with clients and collaborators around the world,” says Tracy Lynch, Creative Director of Clout/SA.

Entries close on 16 June 2026. hotyoungdesigner.com | @nandos_hyd

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WORDS Gina Dionisio PHOTOS Gina Dionisio; Cape Town Furniture Week / Hannah St Clair 

A totemic field is not merely a collection of objects but a charged system organised around symbols that carry presence and gravity. Meaning emerges through proximity, repetition, and exchange. In The Totemic Field – a collaborative exhibition by Joburg-based furniture designers Mash.T Design Studio, TheUrbanative, and multidisciplinary design studio Hoven – these ideas found compelling material expression.

Curated by Nisha van Hoven, the showcase was an artful exploration of the contemporary totemic – where waste, error, and experimentation are not by-products of design but generative forces, producing functional forms that quietly hold collective meaning. “They are definitely not static objects, they are very much adaptive systems. So you will see part lamp, part structure, part object. They refuse fixed identities,” says Nisha.

Featuring new pieces and prototypes, the exhibition positioned modularity not only as a functional strategy but also as a philosophy grounded in circularity, collaboration, and expressive African design. Each piece became a vessel of memory and intention, shaped by material, labour, and the many hands involved in its making.

For Thabisa Mjo of Mash.T Design Studio, the showcase highlighted the brand’s continued journey of generational artisanship, collaboration, and learning. “This story revolves around our metal spinner, Grandpa Jackson. We asked him to teach one of our young artists how to spin. And so this is the result of a year-long apprenticeship,” she says, pointing to the prototypes.

As the apprentice worked towards mastering the spinning process – a technique that resulted in the new Axis Collection – many components naturally didn’t make the cut. These were assembled into imperfect prototypes, such as the Mad Hatter, a standing lamp that embraces the imperfections of its materials, revealing a new aesthetic in which waste tells a story.

Mpho Vackier, founder and designer of TheUrbanative, presented new and reimagined pieces from the African Crowns, Homecoming, and Ndebele collections. “We wanted to push the materials and push ourselves,” she says. Among the pieces on display was the Fula Chair, upholstered in Mungo double-cloth fabric with a blue-stained natural ash seat – a progression from the Fulani Chair. “This chair has lived many, many lives. I think there are five versions. It was first made in steel, then charred red oak, and now we’ve revisited it in colour,” explains Mpho.

Crafted from solid kiaat and stained a deep rosewood, the Phondo Mirror is another addition to the 2018 African Crowns Collection. “This piece is exciting for us because we are known for working in steel, not timber,” says Mpho. “As novices in timber work, we wanted to push ourselves to see if we could integrate the things that we’ve learned from metalworking into working in timber.”

Each piece on display in The Totemic Field reflected the fluid and negotiated nature of contemporary making and collective life. Through time, labour, and exchange, the exhibition revealed the totemic field not as a fixed object to be observed, but as a living practice shaped collectively. mashtdesignstudio.com | theurbanative.com | hoven.co.za

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WORDS Gina Dionisio

The 2026 edition of Cape Town Furniture Week unfolded as a dynamic, citywide celebration of contemporary design, bringing together a diverse network of emerging talents and established studios across showrooms, galleries and creative hubs. From new collection launches and site-specific installations to collaborative pop-ups and open studios, the programme reflected the depth and diversity of Cape Town’s design landscape.

Below are a few of our highlights (of which there were many) from the four-day design showcase – exhibitions, installations, collabs and new pieces that caught our eye.

CTFW x VISI Design Prize exhibition

This year’s Cape Town Furniture Week Festival Hub, hosted in the old Africa Bank Building at 81 St George’s Mall, featured more than 40 exhibitors. The ground floor housed the CTFW x VISI Design Prize exhibition, while the second and third floors came alive with pop-up installations and displays.

Established in 2025, the Design Prize recognises new design objects that contribute to the advancement of South African design. This year, 12 designs were shortlisted, with outstanding pieces from Wiid Design, MŪVEK x Spectrum Mirror, DEFT Studios, Rasengani Atelier, TheUrbanative (in collaboration with Grey Room and Weluka), Alkaline, Woodbender, LIM (in collaboration with Lise van Schoor), NØDE, Hoi P’loy, Stripped Studio with Tom Lead, and Arkivio.

Italian Design Day

Established as an initiative to promote Italian creativity and innovation, Italian Design Day takes place around the world and, in South Africa, was scheduled to align with Cape Town Furniture Week. For this year’s edition, interdisciplinary designer Francesca Lanzavecchia took part in various events across the city, bringing her insights on Italian design.

This year’s programme featured the participation of a number of standout Italian design spaces, aligning with the annual Italian Design Day initiative. Brands including Officine Gullo, Poliform, Valcucine, Eurocasa, INOVA Concept Store and CRÉMA all hosted open showrooms, walkabouts and talks.

Totem by TheUrbanative and Mash.T, curated by Hoven

Legendary Johannesburg-based creatives Mpho Vackier of TheUrbanative and Thabisa Mjo, founder of Mash.T Design Studio, joined forces to present The Totemic Field at Sisonke Gallery. Their living, shape-shifting installation explored the contemporary totemic – how waste, error and experimentation are not by-products of design, but generative forces producing functional forms that quietly hold collective meaning.

HALDANE ‘Site Meeting’

HALDANE unveiled its new outdoor collections inspired by construction, with an interactive showroom launch aptly titled Site Meeting – there were hard hats, high-vis vests, and a brick-and-mortar-inspired cake to celebrate. Highlighted pieces included the Scaffold New Brute occasional tables and the Super Rational modular sofa system.

Mungo x James Mudge Furniture Studio

Led by longevity and material respect, the Mungo x James Mudge Furniture Studio collaboration saw the Harrington and Nordwood chairs upholstered in Mungo’s new Miro Cloth. The bespoke natural-fibre textile brings softness and depth to the chairs’ considered forms.

J O H N | Chair by NISH

Tanisha Neill, founder and designer of N I S H, launched the new J O H N | Chair at a pop-up at Sindiso Khumalo’s flagship store. The new chair, featuring stainless-steel elements, emphasises the brand’s dedication to craftsmanship and highlights the interplay between material precision and natural imperfection.

What the HEX

Furniture and interior specialists Tonic unveiled their new collection, HEX – a trio of hard-edged, geometrically profiled tables crafted from solid French oak. The series is defined by its bold, architectural forms, set in striking contrast to the softness and natural grain of the timber..

Coffee and Craft

Acre, hoop, Kino and Platō Coffee collaborated on an immersive, multi-sensory experience hosted at Acre and hoop’s new work-in-progress studio space. The event celebrated design not only as a finished product but also as a process – inviting visitors behind the scenes of making and material exploration.

Acre presented the various stages of its manufacturing journey, offering insight into the evolution of its pieces from raw material to refined form, while hoop highlighted its own production processes alongside a striking kitchen installation. Upstairs, Kino debuted its new Café Tables, while Platō Coffee guided visitors through a hands-on drip coffee experience.

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WORDS & PHOTOS Dook 

“Vibrant” would best describe Dzombo Lodge. In this wildlife sanctuary – the Black Rhino Game Reserve at the Pilanesberg National Park – you’ll find a yellow giraffe amid green leaves under a blue sky, with an orange sun as a backdrop. The giraffe is a life-sized metal sculpture at the lodge’s entrance, painted so brightly that it’s guaranteed to put a smile on your face. 

It’s a testament to the whimsical approach of owners Hendri and Liezel Van Dyk. He is an urbanite brought up around bustling kitchens; she’s a third-generation bushvelder, who grew up with the Kruger National Park as her backyard. Also driving Dzombo’s design approach is the fact that it’s not the couple’s primary source of income – so their goal here is not to fill lots beds or boast a healthy bottom line, but to share their love of the bush with as many people as possible, and to do it creatively. The smaller lodge provides a more intimate experience for couples, but can also be block-booked by family and friends. 

They rejected the easy build of bland, thatched, cookie-cutter dwellings, choosing rather to express themselves while keeping their African roots front of mind. They wanted something that would be fun, an unforgettable visual bite, with added vitamins of local design to perk up the energy. Plus there was a budget to keep to – and it wasn’t a big one. 

The architect the couple chose to bring their vision to life was Gillian Holl, founder of Veld Architects and one of VISI’s favourites, whose work has often graced the pages of this magazine. Her brief was a dream, quite literally: Hendri had dreamt of a lodge that looked like termite mounds, and Gillian’s interpretation was a design dominated by circles and organic curves, with carefully placed round windows inspired by the natural airflow tunnels used by termites to control the temperature in their mounds. “The design was deeply influenced by nature,” says Gillian, “and the structures were shaped by the landscape, not imposed upon it.”

Each of the lodge’s five private suites is named after one of Africa’s Big Five, in Sesotho. There is also a main area with a boma and a spa, and a circular, farm dam-like pool. It feels more like a tiny village than a lodge, with welcoming staff adding to the feeling of community. As the clay soil was not stable enough to build on, the lodge was raised up to float off the ground on steel stilts. This also provided the added benefit of allowing smaller creatures to move around underneath unhindered, as well as orientating the buildings to gain clearer  views of the mountains of the Pilanesberg. The structures were placed carefully among the trees, and joined together by sweeping raised walkways made of recycled plastic planks for the minimum amount of ground disturbance. 

In keeping with the lodge’s eco-ethos, the suites feature repurposed teak parquet flooring from a demolished house in Johannesburg. Evidence of Hendri and Liezel’s adventurous personalities is found throughout Dzombo, but nowhere more so than in the three spectacular murals by illustrator Johnny Allison: a giraffe and a rhino in two of the bedrooms, and an elephant in the main lounge. The latter is a nod to the lodge’s name – Dzombo was a legendary Kruger tusker. It’s a naming convention echoed by Mabazo, the sister lodge next door, named after Liezel’s father Lynn van Rooyen. “Mabazo” was his Xhosa nickname, also after a revered Kruger elephant, and given in honour of his 39 years of conservation work with these majestic animals. 

To furnish the lodge – and inspired, they swear, by a pile of VISI magazines – Hendri and Liezel went on a road trip with a list of names of local designers whose work they wanted for the interiors. Their journey took them to Johannesburg, where Thabisa Mjo of Mash.T Design Studio created the lampshades; the KZN Midlands, where they watched Lindsay Scott’s gifted hands mould clay artworks; Cape Town, where ceramicist Mervyn Gers spun his magic for the everyday crockery; Swaziland, where they witnessed Ngwenya Glass artisans blowing recycled bottles into glassware; Durban, where Kalki Ceramics baked all the tiles; and Ballito and Kipekee Studio, where Michael Bornman and his team fashioned wooden furniture from his wife Kylie’s designs. 

Judging by the buzz of guests taking selfies during our visit, this radiant, quirky little lodge in the lush Pilanesberg is now the dream spot for other people. dzombolodge.co.za | veldarchitects.co.za

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Nando’s Hot Young Designer (HYD) 2024 announces the top five finalists in its talent search.

Each iteration of the biennial Nando’s Hot Young Designer (HYD) talent search, facilitated by Clout/SA, seeks relevant new product designs for Nando’s local and global restaurants. The 2024 entrants were invited to answer a ‘Screen Dream’ brief to create a screen or room divider that is not only relevant and functional but also decorative and distinct, adding to the overall ambience of a Nando’s restaurant.

Nando’s HYD has officially revealed its top five finalists for 2024: Kirsty Moolman, Tanisha Neill, Simphiwe Mlambo, Mpumelelo Nyuswa and Walter Train. The young designer-makers will now participate in an intensive ‘Laboratory of Learning’ before one stand-out candidate is selected to receive ongoing mentorship and business coaching.

A shortlist of 10 promising designer-makers was selected at the beginning of August 2024, namely, Nicky van den Aardweg, Josh and Pia McFindlay, Margo Kritzinger, Annabelle Brown, Sarafina Maluleka and the aforementioned five finalists. All were invited to a one-day immersion at Nando’s Central Kitchen in Lorentzville, Johannesburg, on Friday 6 September 2024.

“The HYD programme is dedicated to discovering and nurturing the next generation of South African design talent, helping them advance in their design and entrepreneurial journeys,” says Nando’s Design Curator Tracy Lynch, who also happens to be Clout/SA’s Creative Director. “To support this mission, we wanted to get to know our top 10 a little better. At our introduction and live pitch session they had the opportunity to meet us and connect with their fellow finalists. They also attended a Central Kitchen design tour, where they learnt about the Nando’s interior design approach and the global marketplace created for curated SA design to flow from South Africa to the world,” she adds.

As part of this immersion, all ten were asked to pitch their designs to a panel of eight judges. The jury included Tracy, Brad O’Neill and Jessica Wheeler of Nando’s SA, Nokuzola Jenness of Clout/SA, previous Nando’s HYD winners Thabisa Mjo of Mash.T Design Studio, Studio Kalki‘s Nikhil Tricam and Nindya Bucktowar; and business coach Claude Morris.

During the next stage, dubbed the ‘Laboratory of Learning’, the finalists will develop prototypes of their screen designs, nurture their talent and develop their entrepreneurial skills. Based on successful participation and progress in the lab, an overall winner will emerge.

The winning designer will go on to participate in intensive one-on-one coaching, providing them with all the necessary skills to make their creative mark and achieve commercial success. The winning screen will potentially be listed on the online marketplace The Portal to Africa, a global platform where interior designers from across the world can source uniquely South African furniture.

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I have a conflicted relationship with the term “think outside the box”.

While I fundamentally agree with its boundary-breaking premise, I’ve too often found myself in the unfortunate situation where an overly enthusiastic business coach is exhorting me and my bored-to-tears colleagues to “C’mon, guys, think outside the box!” Cue a collective eyeroll. Creative teams don’t like to be told to think outside the box – it’s pretty much what we do every day. And yes, we tend to lean into arrogance.

Now, if that business coach had said, “C’mon guys, think outside the outside of the box!” – that would be a different story. It would be a crucial rephrasing that both keeps the basic premise of thinking beyond one’s comfy boundaries and still massages the creative ego.

There are a bunch of people in this issue of VISI who have thought outside the outside of the box – particularly architects, which is especially impressive, given that making actual boxes is what they do. Have a look at the spiralling, rammed-earth Johannesburg home that Meshworks Architecture + Urbanism has created; KAA Architects’ Sea Point penthouse-meets-superyacht; a Bauhaus-meets-barn in Parkhurst by Peter Steere; and the raw-concrete wonders that are Jan Allan’s Kenyan lodge and TEAM Architects’ Bo-Kaap apartment. In the latter’s case, the crew at TEAM literally placed boxes outside of boxes (p96).

In fact, the talent we have in South Africa continues to blow away the VISI team – and to draw the collective applause of the international design and art community: check out Thabisa Mjo’s Dolce&Gabbana collab and Zanele Muholi’s exhibition at the Tate Modern in London. On home soil, we spend time with lighting designer Adam Hoets and furniture maker James Mudge, and we chat to rising star Tanisha Neill. There’s so much thinking outside the box going on that the inside of the box is a lonely place…

– Steve Smith, Editor | info@visi.co.za

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We’ve been out in the great wide world. Literally. Our contributing editor Jo Buitendach travelled to São Paulo for Expo Revestir, where she not only got to see some of this Brazilian city’s famous architecture, but also returned with a feature on the vibrant ceramic tile trends she saw there (p52).

Then, I was in Milan for the annual global epicentre of furniture design that is Salone del Mobile. As usual, big-name brands from Kartell to Cassina showcased their new ranges there – but that wasn’t the primary focus of my visit this time around. Travelling with VISI partner Circular Squared, I was on the lookout for what Europe’s design talent is doing in the sustainable space. And there was plenty to see, from established brands such as Arper and its reimagined iconic Catifa chair, and Thomas Heatherwick’s innovative In-Side outdoor range, to young guns like MushLume, a US-based brand that basically grows its lampshades using sustainably sourced hemp combined with mycelium. You can read all about this on page 182.

Also in Milan was Faye Toogood, a designer blazing across the heavens at the moment. She debuted her Rude Arts Club range with rug company CC-Tapis and furniture brand Tacchini. Faye is the subject of our new series called “The Vanguard”, which highlights the next generation of design superstars (p62).

It was very cool to see our talented South African designers making a splash in Milan. Thabisa Mjo, founder and creative director of Mash.T Design Studio, was there for the unveiling of her collab with Dolce & Gabbana. And Kino showed the vanity unit that’s part of the Always Welcome Agile HUT initiative to reimagine functional furniture made from the iconic colourful Muizenberg huts.

Speaking of local design, there’s plenty of that in this issue too. We chat to Luke Pedersen about the making of Pedersen + Lennard’s new Tulbagh chair (p58), spend time in studio with Something Good (p66), and bring you an exclusive look at Haldane Martin’s beautiful new HQ and showroom (p46).

So, yup, plenty to see and read here!

– Steve Smith, Editor | info@visi.co.za

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Participants will be chasing the ‘Screen Dream’ in 2024.

Each iteration of the biennial Nando’s Hot Young Designer (HYD) talent search seeks relevant new product designs for Nando’s local and global restaurants. For 2024, entrants have been issued a challenge to design sensational screens. 

The last decade has seen the best young local talents share their designs for lights, patterns, benches and servers, which have been featured in Nando’s across the world.

Going Global

In 2022, Nindya Bucktowar and Nikhil Tricam of Studio Kalki received the title of overall winner of the talent search competition, which saw designers from across South Africa conceptualising a condiment unit to showcase Nando’s much-loved sauces. The duo were invited to showcase their fynbos-inspired functional art pieces at 100% Design Africa. This year Nindya launched her whimsical lighting design, the BLOM Sconce, at Cape Town Furniture Week.

Another noteworthy rising star is Durban-based industrial and product designer Siviwe Jali. A finalist of the Nando’s Hot Young Designer (HYD) talent search in 2020, he won Best New Talent at Decorex Cape Town in 2022.

Thabisa Mjo of Mash T Design Studio, who won the first edition of the talent search, has described the competition as having changed the trajectory of her entire life. She went on to make history when she became the first South African designer to have her Tutu 2.0 light placed in the permanent collection of the Louvre’s Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, France, in 2020. Thabisa was recently chosen to participate in Dolce & Gabbana’s ‘Gen D’ exhibition at Milan Design Week 2024. 

HYD 2024

The fifth edition of the talent search, managed by Clout/SA, returns with a new commitment to the future of young South African designers. Hot Young Designer 2024 will not only serve as a platform for stand-out design and creativity, but as an opportunity to unlock mentorship and business acceleration. The 2024 search is seeking designers and creators who are also entrepreneurs and have a desire to understand the business side of design.

“We are looking for a standout, visually appealing screen design, which includes considered use of materials and an understanding of how the screen lives within the built environment. We would love to see a ‘wow factor’, which could include hand-crafted details or a collaboration with a crafter,” says Clout/SA creative director Tracy Lynch. “The designers that enter also need to share a little about their experience within the sector, how they approach projects, and what is important to them about delivering for their clients.”

Ten finalists, who will be chosen by a carefully curated panel of judges against the application criteria, will go on to participate in a design immersion followed by a pitch session. Thereafter, five designers will be shortlisted to take part in ‘The Laboratory of Learning’ – a focused mentorship and business programme linked to prototyping their design. A finalist will be chosen based on the quality of their participation in the Lab and will go on to access more in-depth one-on-one business mentorship.

With this new structure, HYD 2024 will showcase a winner who is not only an exceptional creative talent but also an enthusiastic entrepreneur and an ambassador for South African design. The winning screen will also be listed on The Portal to Africa – Nando’s online marketplace where interior designers working on Nando’s restaurants around the world can shop for original pieces of furniture and lighting designed and manufactured in South Africa.

“There most certainly is an interest in the work being created here. I believe our stand-out designers are harnessing the craft opportunity and including elements of the handmade, which also facilitates the preservation of SA craft,” says Tracy. “This approach, combined with the inclusion of elements linked to their identity allows for the design and manufacture of unique and authentic designer pieces which share fascinating stories preserve ancient craft skills and inspire a reframing of the narratives from SA,” she adds. 

Emerging young creatives are encouraged to chase their own ‘Screen Dreams’ and submit decorative yet functional screen designs that capture a uniquely South African aesthetic. Visit the Clout/SA website to enter. Entries close on 18 June 2024.

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