Are you a young South African designer ready to connect with opportunities and grow? It’s time to let your light shine in the 2026 edition of the Nando’s Hot Young Designer talent search
Linear lights by Siviwe Jali on display at Nando’s Central Kitchen, featuring furniture, art and lighting by numerous South African designers. Curated by Tracy Lynch, creative director Clout/SA.
Careers have been launched. Dreams have been realised. Since 2016 the biannual Nando’s Hot Young Designer (HYD) talent search has surfaced the hottest emerging designers in the country – talented creatives who’ve benefited from this coveted business-accelerator opportunity that takes talent out of the shadows and mentors it into the spotlight.
Applications are now open for the sixth edition of Nando’s HYD and young designers from across South Africa are invited to show what they’re made of, with entrants invited to rise to the challenge of designing a striking linear light.
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- Union_House_Lights_UmugqaStudio_Photo_Greg_Cox_3 Photos by Greg Cox
At its simplest, ‘linear lighting’ is a source of illumination where all related fixtures are arranged in a straight row, providing directional lighting. Linear lights are often hung above a long table or counter. For Nando’s HYD, the aim is to design a linear light that would shine in any Nando’s restaurant anywhere in the world. Sculptural and crafted elements could introduce texture and colour, while combinations of materials create unique and interesting pieces that contribute to the overall design of the restaurant interior. Handmade details created in collaboration with crafters could be important aspects of the concept. Installation and longevity are vital, and an understanding of how the piece – which should be no longer than 1.4m and weigh under 28kg – will be transported and installed will add value.
Sprinkle light by Thabisa Mjo of Mash.T Design – Clout/SA and Nando’s HYD showcase at Spier. Curated by Tracy Lynch, creative director Clout/SA
For the 2026 edition, the Nando’s HYD’s business accelerator opportunity will unfold in three distinct phases: this current application phase, when aspiring designer-makers submit their entries; a shortlist phase, when finalists are chosen to develop prototypes of their designs; and a final stage, when the winning designer-maker will be selected and go on to receive a programme of tailored support which will include mentorship, market access, showcasing opportunities and community engagement with South Africa’s premier designer-makers.
Nando’s HYD is the centrepiece of the Nando’s Design Programme and ranks among South Africa’s premier biennial design initiatives. Over the years, this platform has propelled numerous local design careers, including that of Thabisa Mjo from Mash T. Design, who emerged as one of the inaugural competition winners in 2016. Mjo has described the opportunity as nothing short of life-altering, citing it as the catalyst that ‘changed the trajectory of my entire life’.
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Nando’s HYD is managed on behalf of Nando’s by Clout/SA. ‘Clout/SA celebrates the vision and vitality of South African design. We’re a business-to-business market maker. A bridge that connects South African designers and makers with local and global commercial opportunities. At Clout/SA, we celebrate the creative pulse of South African design by sharing our curated collections of furniture, lighting, and décor with clients and collaborators around the world,’ says Creative Director of Clout/SA, Tracy Lynch.
Entries close on 16 June 2026. For more information and to submit entries online, please visit the official microsite: www.hotyoungdesigner.com
Follow @nandos_hyd on Instagram.
