The search for South Africa’s hottest screen designs is almost complete as Nando’s HYD 2024 announces its top five finalists: Kirsty Moolman, Tanisha Neill, Simphiwe Mlambo, Mpumelelo Nyuswa, and Walter Train. These emerging talents will now participate in an intensive ‘Laboratory of Learning’ before one stand-out designer is selected to receive ongoing mentorship and business coaching.

Facilitated by Clout/SA, the Nando’s Hot Young Designer (HYD) talent search is a bi-annual event that has become a key fixture on the South African design calendar. This year, entrants were tasked with creating a screen or room divider that is both functional and decorative, enhancing the ambiance of Nando’s restaurants.

After entries closed in June 2024, nearly 200 emerging designers submitted their creative screen designs. In early August, a shortlist of 10 promising designers was announced. These designers included Nicky van den Aardweg, Josh and Pia McFindlay, Margo Kritzinger, Annabelle Brown, Sarafina Maluleka, and the five finalists. All 10 designers were invited to a one-day immersion at Nando’s Central Kitchen in Johannesburg on 6 September 2024.

Supporting Emerging Talent

“The HYD programme is dedicated to discovering and nurturing the next generation of South African design talent,” says Tracy Lynch, Nando’s Design Curator and Creative Director of Clout/SA. The programme not only aims to advance these designers’ skills but also to foster their entrepreneurial growth.

During the immersion day, the shortlisted designers had the chance to pitch their designs to a panel of eight judges, including Lynch, Nando’s representatives Brad O’Neill and Jessica Wheeler, and previous HYD winners Thabisa Mjo (Mash.T Design Studio), Nikhil Tricam (Studio Kalki), and Nindya Bucktowar. The panel also included business coach Claude Morris.

Following this session, the top five finalists were selected and will now join the Laboratory of Learning mentorship programme, where they will refine their designs and business acumen. Based on their progress, one designer will be chosen as the overall winner and will receive one-on-one coaching to enhance their creative and commercial success. Their winning design may also be featured on The Portal to Africa, a global marketplace showcasing South African design to interior designers worldwide.

A Platform for Creative Expression

“Nando’s HYD does more than equip local emerging talent for the marketplace. It’s a way for us to share a different perspective of South Africa through design and creativity,” says Michael Spinks, Property, Design, and Development Director at Nando's SA.

The Nando’s HYD talent search is part of the Nando’s Design Programme, which is committed to identifying and empowering the country’s most promising designer-makers.

For more information on Nando’s HYD 2024, follow @nandos_hyd on social media. To learn more about Clout/SA, visit clout-sadesign.co.za and follow @clout_sadesign for updates.

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