ABOUT NANDO’S HYD 2026!
The Nando’s Hot Young Designer business accelerator opportunity ranks among South Africa’s premier biennial design initiatives. Over the years, this platform has propelled numerous local design careers, including that of Thabisa Mjo from Mash T. Design, who emerged as one of the inaugural competition winners in 2016. Mjo has described this opportunity as nothing short of life-altering, citing it as the catalyst that “changed the trajectory of my entire life”.
Twelve years on, the competition is launching its sixth iteration: linear lights.
2016: Lights | 2018: Patterns | 2020 Benches | 2022: Servers | 2024: Screens | 2026: Linear lights
As we journey and grow the standard and quality of our platform has too and we cannot be more proud of what this decade long commitment has delivered.”
Managed by Clout/SA on behalf of Nando’s, a purpose-driven enterprise, creative agency, and business-to-business (B2B) market-maker for South African design, the Hot Young Designer (HYD) opportunity embodies a profound ambition. Clout/SA seeks to ignite the emergence of a globally recognized South African Design Category Brand by nurturing the next generation of young South African design talent.
The core objective of the HYD business opportunity is to unearth exceptional young South African designer-makers and afford them the chance to prototype their winning design. Moreover, the 5 top finalists will embark on a 3 months one-on-one coaching crafted to provide focused business and creative mentorship – supporting their holistic growth, both creatively and commercially.
This opportunity unfolds in three distinct phases: an application phase, wherein aspiring designer-makers submit their entries; a shortlist phase, during which finalists are chosen to develop prototypes of their screen designs; and a final stage, where the top five are selected and go on to receive a programme of tailored support.
This program encompasses prototyping support, mentorship, market access, showcasing opportunities, and community engagement with South Africa’s premier designer-makers. The winner benefits from an extended mentorship opportunity with creative business coach Claude Morris.
