Planter producer Indigenus is a case study in running a successful design business in South Africa.

Peter van der Post knows a thing or two about rolling with the punches. As founder of Indigenus, a leading Cape-based producer and exporter of high-design planters, over nearly a decade he’s weathered everything from production issues and distributor challenges to expensive marketing fails. But for Peter, it’s all part of the cut and thrust of working in the creative industry – each setback is an opportunity to learn and improve. Indigenus was born in 2014 when Peter, then running a plastics-moulding company, saw a gap in the market for high- end planters that fused memorable designs with natural wood, cork and stone.

There was a steep learning curve ahead, though, from trade fair flops to a crash course in shipping costs. And understanding export pricing was critical, he says. “From the beginning, I knew that our core market would be export, and the price simply has to be higher in the overseas market,” he says. “You have to travel to shows, and if you have to replace a pot, you have to fly it out. You need that extra fat when you’re exporting.”

Building relationships face to face is also key – which is why Peter spent R200 000 on a stand at 100% Design London. But it was a massive failure. “It flopped,” he says. “We got nothing from it. But it flopped because we didn’t have proper distribution on the ground, and we didn’t have the right marketing material. I learnt from that.” It was an important lesson, and one of two key tipping points for Indigenus.

The company then invested heavily in its product catalogue – hiring creative director Cathy O’Clery and photographer Mark Williams – which proved a crucial tool in convincing cautious US and European buyers to place their orders.

Peter also ran into production issues and, realising that quality control was critical – “It’s all about the details; perfect shape, perfect finish” – in 2019 he took the plunge and opened his own factory, investing heavily in moulds. “It was a big risk, but I’ve learnt that if you’re going to make a repeatable product you must create the best tools you can. It always makes you money in the long run,” he says. “We simply couldn’t launch in Europe if we didn’t make these moulds and tools. And with our current team, we have been able to double our production at a much higher quality.”

The second tipping point was recognising the value of strategic collaborations with global gravitas. While Indigenus has long worked with hugely respected local designers such as Laurie Wiid and Haldane Martin, the cachet of creating planters designed by the likes of Yabu Pushelberg and Sebastian Herkner carried far more weight among overseas buyers. “Sebastian also introduced us to our agent in Europe, and to our PR company in Europe,” says Peter. “Those kinds of connections are important to help you get a foot in the door.”

Nine years on, Peter’s done far more than that, growing Indigenus from a small, cautious southern hemisphere start-up to a respected brand in the world of international design. “From the beginning, we have gone for the very top end of the market – which has been quite daring, in a way,” he says. “Our distributors carry the best brands in the world, and that part of the market doesn’t run out of money. They don’t stop buying.”

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Landscape architects Yes& Studio team up with architectural planters Plantr for Boxwood Property Fund to introduce a green public realm intervention to Cape Town’s Long Street in the form of custom planters-cum-street furniture.

Considering the haptics of relationships between people and place – 14 Long is a boutique office/accommodation above high-street retail offering – Yes& Studio was tasked with executing a landscape intervention that makes for a soft green edge to 14 on Long.

Their solution? New paving, street furniture and, most ogle-worthy, Plantr’s unique, custom-designed planters. Think: soft landscaping that mediates the scale of the towering built form with the pedestrian environment and a steal of Cape Town’s natural surrounds tucked into the city.

Plantr is passionate about bringing living greenery into concrete ecosystems because they believe it’s the key to design that breeds health and happiness. They create high-end, design-centric, sustainable plant containment solutions that are dynamic and customisable through the use of 3D modelling software and lifelike renders.

Shop Plantr online or off the shelf from their showroom at The Palms in Woodstock.

VISI Collab: Plantr Minilux Planters

The Plantr Minilux is subtle in shape, soft in texture and simple in design. The Minilux in limited edition textured white and gold is a collab between VISI and the Cape Town-based design studio, and comes in two sizes – small and medium. 

From R399 | VISI Shop

Shop

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Local planter brand Indigenus has launched its new Pebble range by Yabu Pushelberg at the Maison & Objet show in Paris.

Founded by Peter van der Post in 2014, the brand is well known for its bespoke planters and global collaborations with renowned designers. With a passion for making planters that last more than just a season, the study well-designed pieces are created with longevity in mind, while being aesthetically pleasing in the home, restaurant or office space.

“Each range of planters is unique and illustrates the impact that beautiful sculptural planters have on architecture and landscapes,” the website explains. “The planters close connection to the earth is expressed through a stable and grounded design, made with beautiful natural materials and evoking an underlying story of our relationship with the natural world.”

The new Pebble Collection by American-based design studio Yabu Pushelberg embodies all the key elements of the Indigenus brand. Characterised by a soft organic form, the range is suitable for any style and environment. The Pebble follows an asymmetrical design, playing on negative space. “Inspired by nature, the partnership between Yabu Pushelberg and Indigenus sought to honour this muse by celebrating the amorphous forms found in nature, translating the soft forms into a family of concrete planters,” they elaborate. Although large, the pebble can either add a statement element or blend subtly with the surroundings – complimenting natural landscapes. Designed to stand together or independently, the Pebble planters have been crafted to support larger plants and trees.

READ MORE: Inspired by Africa: Indigenus’ Aarde Collection

Launched at the esteemed Maison & Objet show in Paris, the team worked hard to create a stand that showcased the simplistic beauty of the planter. The stand, designed by Sebastian Herkner, was designed to provide a soothing backdrop to Indigenus’ range of planters The sanctuary-like space was built and planned to have a calm meditative effect.

For more information, visit indigenus.co.za.

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Local planter brand Indigenus has teamed up with award-winning German designer Sebastian Herkner on a new collection inspired by Africa.

South Africa left an indelible mark on Sebastian Herkner when he visited a few years ago. Now, the star designer, acclaimed for his work with international companies such as Moroso, Gubi and Ligne Roset, has used this impression to create magic on our shores.

“I was attracted to the colours, light and sensual visual experience of South Africa,” says Sebastian of
the five-piece Aarde collection that he designed for Indigenus. “With Aarde, I wanted to express the multiple facets and layers of the landscape, the way the colours of the rocks, earth and sand change character during the day. I wanted to add this aspect to the design – layers of clay playing with the light and shadow.”

Indigenus is well-known for great collaborations with top local designers, but working with Sebastian – an international contemporary – is a first.

READ MORE: Q&A with Indigenus’ Peter van der Post

As the brand’s CEO Peter van der Post explains, there’s also synchronicity to the endeavour. “Indigenus already has an established international distribution network, but to grow further I felt we needed to expand our stable of designers,” he says. “Sebastian’s name kept coming up when I asked design colleagues around the world for suggestions.” Around the same time, Sebastian was introduced to Indigenus planters at the Toronto home of a mutual friend.

And once the serendipitous project kicked off, what resonated with Sebastian was the potential for a strong narrative – an important aspect of his design process. “I like that Aarde is produced in South Africa because I believe people are searching for the story of a product – where it’s produced, which materials are used, how sustainable it is,” he says. “When we invest in products now, we’re looking for companions for life, not a trend.”

READ MORE: Where to Buy Plants Online in South Africa

That Indigenus planters are handmade was another strong driver for Sebastian, who prefers working with craftsmen, and using real and honest materials. “I think this is, in balance, both avant-garde and now”, he explains.

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A contemporary look at traditional forms comes to life in the new line of smaller goods by award-winning Joburg-based design house, Mash.T.

Mash.T Design Studio, founded by Thabisa Mjo, recently launched its first line of ceramics, taking the brand into the world of smaller (and, we predict, hugely collectable) home goods. The colourful Presents From Joburg range of vases, planters, platters, fruit bowls, shakers, side plates, dip bowls and candleholders has been spun, in true Thabisa fashion, in a contemporary language that showcases the designer’s expressive use of colour, pattern and shape.

Presents From Joburg came about at a quiet time for the studio, while operating during the pandemic, and now stands as another testament to Mash.T’s ongoing collaborative approach to design. After initial design work on the range, Mash.T began a partnership with

Cape Town-based ceramic artist Aleri Odendaal, who worked from her home studio during the lockdown. “Most of our communication with Aleri took place on WhatsApp,” says Thabisa. “A similar thing happened with our new Bright Light sculpture, also created during the peak of the lockdown. The beader who worked on the sculpture – Neliswa Sigwela of Qaqambile Bead Studio – told us that working on the Bright Light gave her family the opportunity to see, for the first time, what she actually does!”

Mash.T recently made headlines after the studio’s Tutu 2.0 light, a woven and beaded pendant lampshade inspired by the xibelani skirts worn by Xitsonga women, was acquired by the Louvre Museum in Paris for its permanent collection. The light, which was voted the Most Beautiful Object in South Africa in 2018, has since been installed in restaurants all over the world.

But Thabisa hopes the more affordable ceramic items will open the studio’s offerings to new audiences, who might not be able to acquire her larger pieces just yet, but who still want to own a piece of the Mash.T brand. “Not everyone can get our pendants, even though they might share our values and identify with our design language,” says Thabisa. “So we want to make Mash.T products more accessible. And it’s why Presents From Joburg is launching with items centred around serving tools. We want to foster the idea of community, and of coming together at the end of the day to share a meal. It’s about treasuring the moments spent together around the dinner table.”

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Indigenus’s artisan planters are what happens when considered design and nature collide. We talk to the brand’s founder about why staying connected to the natural world is a design priority.

Peter van der Post, the founder and CEO of Indigenus, turned his love of nature and art into a business that manufactures architectural planters that uplift and enhance the spaces they’re placed in. The venture is rooted in collaborations with South African designers, artists and architects – the Indigenus brand has worked with Andile Dyalvane, SAOTA, Laurie Wiid van Heerden and Haldane Martin, among others – who appreciate the transformative power of great planters. With indoor plants continuing their ascendancy in interiors everywhere, we asked Peter why he thinks we’re so enamoured of all things green at the moment.

What do you believe is the reason plants yield so much power over a space?

I’m not a horticulturalist or a biologist, but I believe they connect us with nature, which is always healing. They also break up lines with organic shapes, which I think is good for our psyche at some level.

Terra by Laurie Wiid van Heerden

Which aspects of modern life do you think have encouraged people to buy and grow plants?

Our disconnect from nature: this is a way of reconnecting.

Do you see this green trend as a shift towards natural living?

If by “natural living” you mean a movement towards more natural materials and handcrafted items, less clutter, fewer but better things, and more plants in our homes and on our plates, then yes.

What distinguishes your brand’s ethos from other planter companies?

We will not compromise on the quest for beauty in our designs – even if it increases the price.

You collaborate with local artists to create your designs. How do you go about choosing them?

For me, it’s about the designs they’ve already done, and whether I can see them translating into an Indigenus planter. I like designers who don’t compromise on achieving something exceptional and original, and who seek to create their best work using real materials. All our designs have a link to the earth, so that too must be present.

Soma by Laurie Wiid van Heerden

What’s the best plant-buying advice for apartment dwellers who don’t have gardens?

Choose plants suited to the environment they will live in, accounting for light, air flow, humidity and temperature. And don’t be scripted in how you use them – I think eclecticism is more soulful than something that’s overly manicured.

How do we strike a balance between “too many plants” and planters versus just enough?

That is completely individual – do whatever feels right for you!

For more information, visit indigenus.co.za.

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The brand’s contemporary designs are created in collaboration with leading designers, architects and artists who share the same ideals as Indigenus founder and director, Peter van der Post.

“Indigenus planters all have a close connection to the earth,” says Peter. “This is expressed through a stable and grounded design, made with beautiful natural materials. Each planter has an underlying story of our relationship to the natural world.”

Indigenus’s Soma collection, designed by Laurie van Heerden, has become an iconic part of the Indigenus range. Inspired by the “anchoring presence” of trees, the Soma planters create a powerful impact on any landscape or interior and act as art pieces in their own right. They’re also a simple yet effective way of bringing nature back into our spaces.

“Home has returned to the centre of our lives,” says Peter. “We believe beauty and nature nourish the soul.”

Available in a range of sizes, from large statement pieces to smaller tabletop planters, Indigenus’s planters can be assembled together in varying heights and sizes or be placed individually on the ground, in a corner or on a raised surface.

For more information, visit indigenus.co.za.

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They’re making something of a fashion comeback – but suspenders can do more than just keep your pants from falling down.

This was inspired by Rudyard Kipling’s “How the Whale Got His Throat” from his Just So Stories collection (where a crafty mariner uses his suspenders to stop the whales from eating all the fish in the ocean) and San Francisco-based designer Andrew Kudless’s “Swell Wave” shelf for Louis Vuitton’s latest Objets Nomades collection.

The indigenous, evergreen, drought-resistant plants (Haworthia limifolia spiralis) are available at Starke Ayres nurseries. The hanger and hooks are from Leroy Merlin.

See more Smart Ideas here.

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From a new mural in Maboneng and cat art made from spilled coffee to locally-made recyclable planters and handcrafted stackable chairs, these are the top VISI picks of the week series – week 344.

1. The Art of Women Mural by Dbongz, in Association With Baz-Art

A brand-new mural celebrating women has been unveiled on Fox Street in Maboneng, in collaboration with street art platform Baz-Art. Created by South African street artist, Dbongz, the mural depicts a variety of activist and feminist musicians. By accessing the mural’s QR code, passersby will be able to scan, listen and discover each artist via Platoon Africa.

Images courtesy of Baz-Art

2. Softpots by Sylvie Hurford

Local brand Softpot creates reusable, recyclable and waterwise grow bags for you to sprout your favourite herbs and plants. Handmade from felt and available in a variety of colours, the pots retain water, which means you don’t need to water your plants as often.

Images courtesy of @softpotsza on Instagram

3. Coffee Cats by Elena Efremova

Russian artist and illustrator Elena Efremova uses coffee to draw fun cat portraits that actually interact with her physical cup. From cappuccinos to espressos, each cup of coffee influences the colour and style of the cat that lands on the paper.

Image credit: Elena Efremova on behance.net via boredpanda.com

4. Woodbender Abbey Stacking Chair

South African bentwood furniture brand Woodbender has released a new range of stacking chairs. Made from sustainably sourced Ash timber, the Abbey is designed to maximise space. You are also able to customise the wood stain and seating fabric to best suit your home.

Images courtesy of Woodbender

5. MRP Home X Lou Harvey

MRP Home has collaborated with Durban-born designer Lou Harvey on a colourful collection of homeware and accessories in Lou’s bright, bold signature style. The range is available online and in MRP stores nationwide.

Images courtesy of MRP Home

Browse more like VISI picks of the week series – week 344 on picks of the week 161.

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From locally made face masks and an illustration by Jade Klara for vida e caffè to new Le Creuset planter sets and free online art courses through MoMA, these are the top VISI picks of the week series – week 330.

1. Jade Klara Illustration and ELLO Mural

Local artist Jade Klara was asked to illustrate a beach scene for vida e caffè on the Camps Bay strip in Cape Town, which was then interpreted and translated into a hand-painted mural by ELLO. The fun mural includes surfers, ice creams, sandcastles, crabs and dogs wearing pants!

Images courtesy of Jade Klara

2. Local Face Masks

Regulations state that any outside endeavours require wearing a face mask. Here are just a few options for you to keep in mind, all of which will help to support local businesses.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B_H5LiAJgdm/

https://www.instagram.com/p/B_VKN99p-SF/

https://www.instagram.com/p/B_VjOyrjtFX/

https://www.instagram.com/p/B_mcbysJaE7/

https://www.instagram.com/p/B-1o03ap4SW/

https://www.instagram.com/p/B_kFYLtp_Cu/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Images via @thewrendesign, @mungodesign, @zanaproducts, @margot_molyneux, @miamelange, @ballo.co.za

3. Le Creuset’s Set of 3 Herb Planters

Le Creuset has released a brand-new 3-part planter set, perfect for your kitchen or bedroom windowsill. Available in four shades, the 11 cm planters are the perfect homes for your favourite herbs, flowers or succulents.

Images courtesy of Le Creuset

4. Sarch Designs

Cape Town-based architect and illustrator @sarchdesigns created a series of drawings during the initial lockdown phase, depicting snippets from nature and special places around the city of Cape Town. 

https://www.instagram.com/p/B_UJ1v9JKPf/

https://www.instagram.com/p/B_RqZq0p_x-/

https://www.instagram.com/p/B_O_bFHJ3cW/

https://www.instagram.com/p/B_J_bBjJytB/

Images via @sarchdesigns

2. MoMA’s Free Online Art Course

The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York is making online courses accessible to the public through Coursera. Each course has invaluable information from artists, designers and curators and give some insight into MoMA’s collections and exhibitions. Courses available include “Fashion as Design”, “Seeing Through Photographs”, “In The Studio: Abstract Post-war Painting”, “Modern Art and Ideas”, and “What Is Contemporary Art?”. The idea is for you to complete the courses at your own pace. Click here for the full course outlines.

Videos via The Museum of Modern Art on YouTube

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