Ep 2 Siyanda Mbele | Talking design, manufacturing, and facing up to the realities of building a business when you have no Plan B

Sep 12, 2019

This is episode 2 where I am joined by interior and furniture designer Siyanda Mbele. 

 

ABOUT SIYANDA: Siyanda Mbele is the founder of Pinda Design, the design studio he set up in his hometown of Durban, South Africa. He designs and manufactures hand-painted furniture inspired by South Africa’s diverse cultures.

 

We talk about:

• The financial implications of starting design business - finding funding and getting support from family to support his dream

 

• The costs of manufacturing, and finding the right manufacturers to work with

 

• Who turns to for advice and business support

 

• The early mistakes he made and how he fixed them

 

• Learning to connect and negotiate with global buyers

 

• The challenges of getting his product to market, logistics shipping internationally from the continent and how he works around the challenges

 

• The role of culture in design, the impact it has on society, and why it's important for him to express his culture in his designs

 

• Cultural shifts in South Africa, and the emergence and impact of young black furniture and product designers making a name for themselves and contributing to the South African design aesthetic, and what has changed to make this possible

 

Links and resources mentioned in this episode

Durban University Of Technology - https://www.dut.ac.za/course/bachelor_of_technology_interior_design/

Design Indaba - https://www.designindaba.com

SABS Design Institute - http://design.sabs.co.za

 

Where you can go to find out more about Siyanda

Instagram: @pindadesign | @siyandambele

https://www.behance.net/Pindabysiyandambele

 

Get the full show notes at: www.atelier55design.com/podcast 

This podcast is brought to you by atelier 55