A heartfelt celebration of South African design

From fashion to furniture and architecture, South African creativity is taking the world by storm. Welcome Lishivha picks Clout, a book covered with fabric and embossed, which celebrates the evolution of local design.

Curated by Tracy Lynch, edited by Malibongwe Tyilo and designed by Jo Skelton, the 160-page A3 coffee table book provides a rich visual take on contemporary design culture in South Africa.

Clout is a book that showcases products ranging from furniture to fashion. It includes the creative processes of artists and explores interiors of some of the Nando’s stores around the world.

The peri-peri chicken chain is one of the biggest exporters of local design – its support for the industry extends to its Hot Young Designer competition in which winning fabric designs by upcoming designers form a range of bespoke fabrics that Nando’s uses in restaurants around the world. Nando’s initiatives in the design industry include giving rise to Clout, the lifestyle magazine, and Portal to Africa, an online catalogue and purchasing platform which has facilitated more than R34 million worth of design sales to date.

                                                       Decorative copies of Clout.

Augmented by case studies, interviews and probing essays, the book fills a gap in the evolving story of South African creative expression. In it, you will find some of this country’s finest contemporary designs, such as Mpho Vackier’s award-winning Oromo chairs and Nenzima desks, and Thabisa Mjo’s tutu lights, inspired by the xibelani skirt, which were judged the Most Beautiful Object in South Africa at the 2019 Design Indaba.

The book is easy to use and features contact details and links to every featured product, thus connecting people who care about the broader design industry with the products and the people behind them. “We are mindful of the need to create employment opportunities for young people as well as offer ongoing hands-on support to SMEs [small and medium enterprises],” says Michael Spinks, Nando’s property and development director. “We are proud to boost the design sector by facilitating exposure to global opportunities.”

The book was launched to great fanfare at a garden party hosted by the British Consulate, with guests in attendance including the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Graça Machel, potential investors and politicians.

A limited number of copies of the book are still available for purchase. For more information, contact Natalie Dadswell at Nando’s via natalie@nandos.com.

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City Press is an agenda-setting South African news brand that publishes across platforms. Its flagship print edition is distributed on a Sunday.