Meet the 2024 Nando’s HYD finalists

For the past 10 years, Nando’s Hot Young Designer (HYD) talent search has been bringing attention to some of South Africa’s top emerging design talents and journeying alongside them to grow their careers and access opportunities and mentorship.

Taking place every second year, Nando’s HYD creates a real-world brief for relevant new product designs for Nando’s restaurants around the world and encourages designers

Tracy Lynch, Nando’s design curator and creative director of Clout/SA, explains that for 2024, entrants were challenged to design their own sensational screens with a brief titledThe Screen Dream.

The entries we received were innovative, unique and beautifully representative of a new generation of SA designers that are excited to deliver bold design solutions,she says.The use of upcycled and environmentally sensitive materials was a standout approach as designers rise to offer solutions that respond to the challenges we face in relation to sustainable design. There was also an abundance of multifunction designs that reference South African heritage and traditional craft applications.

Link to this headingBeyond a winning design

What makes Nando’s HYD special is that it’s more than a design competition – winners and finalists enjoy mentorship opportunities and the chance to partner with established designers, creating routes to market and industry profiling

To date, we have drawn out 40 young designers over the duration of this beautiful opportunity and inspired so many more with their stories and work,says Tracy.Nando’s HYD is helping to build confidence in our sector. Its success shows that the SA design industry is on track to grow and become more inclusive, relevant and a positive solution to youth employment, and above all else, a way to connect all to the universal language of design and creativity from South Africa. Our commitment to changing lives runs deeply as the ethos of this platform. We are excited to mentor and inspire these young creatives.

Link to this headingNext steps

The top ten Nando’s HYD finalists have been selected and will take part in a pitch session at Nando’s Central Kitchen to present their designs to an expert panel of industry professionals, including:

• Brad O Neill, Nando’s GM design and development
• Jess Wheeler, Chief Marketing Officer Nando’s SA
• Nokuzola Jenness, executive director, Clout/SA
• Claude Morris, business coach at CICC
• Thabisa Mjo founder and lead designer at Mash.T (and inaugural winner of Nando’s HYD)
• Nikhil Tricam and Nindiya Bucktowar, founders and designers at Kalki Design Studio (and current winners of Nando’s HYD)
• Tracy Lynch, Nando’s design curator and creative director at Clout/SA

The top five will be invited to be part of an extensive mentorship programme that includes the process of prototyping their designs,says Tracy.These completed prototypes will be included in showcasing opportunities so that the designers build an understanding of all that contributes to the successful launch of products and the processes of prototyping, costing, marketing and delivering excellent products to market.

Link to this headingDreamy screens

Here are the top 10 finalists and their screen designs:

Link to this headingSarafina

Sarafina(@seraphim_int.designs)created an entry that celebrates diversity.

Nando’s is a South African multinational fast casual chain that specialises in Portuguese flame-grilled PERi-PERi style chicken. Founded in Johannesburg in 1987, It is well known for its Pride, Passion, Courage, Integrity and Family values but most importantly I think it should also be well known for its cultural diversity. Nando’s appreciates that society is made up of many different groups with different interests, skills, talents and needs and they also recognise that people in society can have differing religious beliefs and sexual orientations.

Link to this headingKirsty

Kirsty(@happy_times_pretty_things)created an entry that celebrates diversity.

Woven wood is a celebration of that intangible African feeling inspired by woven rope, globular sculpture, African wood carving and unique artisanal marks. The design sings of texture, warmth and heart. It is a symbol of asymmetrical joy and creative energy. The wobbly diamond like pattern resembles that of a well-worn braai grid, the ultimate South African symbol of bringing together. The playful spirit of the design whimsically juxtaposes heavy and light, smooth and textured, bright and dull. The twisted, carved pine slats reminiscent of a serene forest is shaken to life with dashes of bright energetic colours. The woven effect is created by CNC-ing standard pine planks and binding them together with recycled polyester rope. This creates a point of optical interest.

Link to this headingAnnabelle

Annabelle’s design, Rataan Rouge, is inspired by South Africa’s rich heritage.

A beautiful blend of rattan and powder-coated steel, pays homage to the traditional crafts of the Zulu and Xhosa communities, while introducing a revolutionary twist—literally! The screen’s ability to rotate sets it apart, adding a dynamic element to any space. Annabelle’s passion for sustainable, functional design shines through.

Link to this headingMpumelelo

Mpumelelo(@Good.Better.Best.Studios)submitted the Qhakaza screen, inspired by his culture’s iconic objects, such as lziqhaza (Zulu earrings) lqhugwane (Zulu huts) and iHawu (Zulu shield).

Our culture has always been synonymous with curved and circular shapes. lziqhaza, initially worn by young men or women after undergoing a ceremony during their adolescence period, which signified growth and a sense of pride and later through urbanisation, was a means of translating one’s artistic expression and a symbol of style and adornment.

Link to this headingMargo

Margo(@margokritzinger)is only in her first year of studies, but this budding designer has already showcased a deep understanding of design principles, meticulous planning and 3D software. Crafted from reusable plastic materials and powder-coated steel in a vibrant red, her design reflects a thoughtful approach to sustainability and aesthetics. It was inspired by various African weaving patterns and techniques.

I wanted to combine rigid and organic forms to create a unique design that brings life to a space. I wanted a screen to add to the ambiance of the space, and not overpower the space.

Link to this headingJosh & Pia

Josh and Pia of@tandem.designhousecreated the Mesh Mash Screen.

The choice of material is a statement on its own: the weaving of reclaimed electrical cable not only supports the reuse of waste but also honours traditional craft techniques, reflecting Tandem Design House’s vision of a thriving, interconnected industry. The design highlights African ingenuity and the vibrant spirit of Johannesburg.

Link to this headingWalter

Walter(@whitesheep.studio)created the Peekaboo Screen.

The Peekaboo Screen introduces interactivity into product design, challenging the traditional notion of screens as mere dividers or privacy tools. Typically, screens serve to create separation in spaces like restaurants, which often conflicted with my belief in the social nature of humans, especially during shared meals among family and friends. The swivelling disk of the Peekaboo Screen introduces an element of humour and curiosity. It offers a unique twist: the ability to ‘peek at someone else’s meal before deciding on your own order. This feature serves not only its practical purpose but also fosters interaction between restaurant patrons.

Link to this headingTanisha

Tanisha(@nish.product)was approached by Infinity Surfaces to collaborate with the company by using its product, which is primarily seen in a kitchen setting, and applying it to a furniture design.

My collection up until this piece has been more geometric and squarer where I pivoted with this design and was inspired by curves. My inspiration comes from playing with form and the possibilities of the materials I work with.

Link to this headingNicky

Nicky(@vda_designco)brings a unique blend of skills to the table, from leading a 3D design division at a branding agency to founding her own concept design business.

My idea is based on the modular use of hoops to create patterns. Hoops link us together, through memories and colour, from pool hoops to hula hoops, they form the fun basis of an outdoor South African childhood, public pools, beachfronts and good memories outdoors. With varying sizes they create a modular system that can be repeated and adjusted to create a selection of different screens in the Loooops range. I believe designs should function with a strategy or design thinking behind the aesthetics. They should make sense before and beyond it’s installation, whether in terms of ease of manufacturing, modularity, materials, adaptability or being interchangeable. A design that allows the hand of the maker / human element to be part of the process, while also working with a circularity in mind, from a modular starting point to a modular end point.

Link to this headingSimphiwe

Simphiwe(@simphiwem1)has studied interior design at Durban University of Technology and has a passion for furniture design.

Inspired by the idea of protection and somewhat longing for it, I was drawn towards “lhawu” (shield). The idea of morphing objects of war into functional and sentimental pieces has been a constant theme in my body of work, stemming from a longing for peace and recognition. Expressed and implied forms in the design represents spoken and unspoken feelings and thoughts and ideas. As a multi-faceted being and designer, the multifunctionality of the piece was/is a natural gravitation towards an honest expression and recognition of my ambiguity and versatility. More on form, the lhawu is used as a “shield” so to me it made sense to take something culturally familiar, morphing it into a functionally object for privacy/screen off. It feels somewhat metaphoric.

For updates on the finalists and their work,follow Nando’s HYD on Instagram.