Ten years of commitment to growing the South African design economy was highlighted at the event which included representatives from across the design sector. CloutSA’s creative director and Nando’s design curator, Tracy Lynch introduced the Nando’s HYD legacy to the audience before announcing the winner. The platform empowers new design talent and supports their business…
| Ten years of commitment to growing the South African design economy was highlighted at the event which included representatives from across the design sector. CloutSA’s creative director and Nando’s design curator, Tracy Lynch introduced the Nando’s HYD legacy to the audience before announcing the winner. The platform empowers new design talent and supports their business growth through mentorship and potential inclusion on the Nando’s Portal to Africa, the online marketplace which has sold over 200 million Rands worth of SA design pieces into local and international projects. |
at the Sandton Convention Centre. Photographs by Levy Sekonya.
| The competition was rigorously judged in three stages (an initial 200 entries were narrowed down to twenty and then down to five finalists who participated in the mentorship programme). Judges included Clout/SA’s Tracy Lynch and Nokuzola Jenness, past HYD winners, Thabisa Mjo, Nindya Bucktowar and Nikhil Tricam, business coach Claude Morris, Nando’s SA’s head of design and construction Bradley O’ Neill, Nando’s SA’s GM, Rudolph Swart and Jessica Wheeler, Nando’s SA’s head of marketing. In addition all of the Nando’s SA project managers and interior designers cast a popular vote which added another layer to the selection process. |
| The top five talents were mentored by business coach Claude Morris and attended six workshops in Cape Town last year as part of the business of design accelerator program. Along the journey the Clout/SA team shared valuable industry knowledge and insights, adding to their immersive design sector deep dive. The five prototypes were sponsored by the platform and formed part of the accolade and accelerator journey. The Nando’s HYD 2024 top five finalists are Walter Train, Tanisha Neill, Simphiwe Mlambo, Kirsty Moolman and Mpumelelo Nyuswa. The prototypes were displayed at 100% Design Africa in a glorious showcase brought to life by Tracy Lynch of Clout/SA with a glazed ombre tile backdrop created by Nando’s HYD 2022 winners, Studio Kalki. |
“What an incredible testimony to the potential of SA design these prototypes and this platform is! Well done to the top five and to our winner, Simphiwe Mlambo. 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. A giant shout out to our incredible partner, Nando’s for their energy and commitment to supporting the potential of what we know this unique industry represents. SA design is a force for positive change, what a pleasure and privilege it is to play a part in its evolution.” – Tracy Lynch
The prototypes are currently on display at Nando’s Central Kitchen where they form part of Nando’s permanent showcase of extraordinary South African design at Nando’s Headoffice, in Lorenzville, Johannesburg.
