Johannesburg - Industrial Design student Tshepiso Motau is flying the University of Johannesburg’s (UJ) flag high after winning the National Furniture Design competition.
The 21-year-old was announced as the overall winner at the Buy Local Summit & Expo, which took place in Sandton from March 27-28, 2023. The annual competition, which she heard about through her lecturers, is one of the Department of Trade Industry and Competition’s (DTIC) Furniture Industry Master Plan programmes to promote design skills in the furniture industry.
The brief, Local is Lekker, required the entrants to define what local meant to them. Motau went the cultural route.
“I went the traditional, cultural route of using Ndebele patterns to explain and show what culture means to me. To me, culture is a sense of belonging. My piece is called ‘Ekhaya’, which means at home. You can get that sense of belonging from culture, your home. Furniture does that as well. It creates a home,” said the third-year student.
Her furniture piece, a multifunctional room divider with shelves incorporated, stands out because of the intricate Ndebele pattern. It was mostly used from plaid wood.
“The room divider comes with shelving that can be taken out. You can block another room or use it to display your ornaments,” she explained.
The Centurion-based student’s design inspiration was the iconic Dr Esther Mahlangu and her love for patterns. “I really love Ndebele patterns. They always tell a story, and they mean something to the Ndebele community. It is such a rich culture. I like learning about different cultures and what they have. I am a mix of Setswana and IsiXhosa.”
Her prize for winning the competition includes an internship with Homewood Furniture and joining the Furntech Furniture Business Technology Incubator Programme for six months. Her course entails the engineering of products, where one looks at how products can better the world.
When asked what her plans were, Motau said while she is in her final year, she hopes to continue with an Honours degree at the institution.
“After completing my Honours, I hope to get into furniture design, as I want to explore it more through culture, as South Africa has a diverse one and culture isn’t explored much, especially through furniture,” she said.