Popular food restaurant Nando’s has announced the top 10 finalists for the Hot Young Designers competition, which aims to unearth saucy new designs for Nando’s restaurants around the world and fire up the careers of emerging local creatives.

HYD is a platform given to upcoming designers to showcase their work as well as recognise their brilliance and contribution to the design, arts and culture sector.

It also plays a key role in this ongoing industry development by not only functioning as a launch pad for fresh young talent, but also as a mentorship programme and a portal to the local and global marketplace for the 10 finalists selected in each year of the competition.

Top 10 finalist Ryan Pinches.Image:Supplied

HYD assigned young designers with conceptualising a condiment unit to display the brand’s acclaimed peri-peri sauces.

The challenge was to do so in such a way that these sauces and their piquant ingredients, which form an intrinsic part of the Nando’s experience, remain visible and accessible to customers throughout their visit.

Finalist Nomonde Dubanzane.Image:Supplied

The judging took place during August and September 2022, and in no particular order, the 2022 HYD finalists are: Lindelani Hlophe, Thabiso Nkonyeni, Siyanda Magaba, Daphne Lephoto, Minenhle Zazi Cira, Makhi Mtati, Ryan Pinches, Mbali Maseko, Nomonde Dubazane, and collaboratively Nikhil Tricam and Nindya Bucktowar.

All 10 finalists will be invited to a mentorship session hosted by Clout/SA that is set to take place in October 2022. They will then be linked to various opportunities, including seeing their designs prototyped. The overall winner of the HYD will be announced at the mentorship event, which will form part of this year’s Basha Uhuru youth festival at Constitution Hill.

One of the judges, Ngaire Blankenberg, who is a South African-born director of the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art in the US, commented: “I was excited by the complexity of ideas each designer brought to the ‘assignment’. From gender, to nature, to histories, to cultures; the design approaches demonstrated a thoughtfulness, sensitivity and ultimately so much love for the complicated, diverse, ever-changing nature of this beautiful country of ours. I felt very proud.”

Finalists Nikhil Tricam and Nindya Bucktowar.Image:File

The competition received 134 entries from across the country, making the judging process a tough call for the adjudication panel. The finalists were chosen by 12 local and global industry judges.

Clout/SA director Tracy Lynch spoke about the importance of the competition.

“The biennial Nando’s HYD competition is a highlight of the design sector’s calendar. This is about changing lives by making sure we utilise the platform we have to shine a light on creativity and opportunity.”

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