A MAGICAL MASH-UP

BLENDING CONTEMPORARY DESIGN WITH CRAFT-DRIVEN TECHNIQUES, THABISA MJO HAS BUILT A BUSINESS THAT TELLS UNIQUELY SOUTH AFRICAN STORIES THROUGH FURNITURE AND HOMEWARE PRODUCTS

AN ART GALLERY IN FRANSCHHOEK, a safari lodge in Pilanesberg, an art foundation in Madagascar, the offices of Google in Kenya and restaurants in Johannesburg, Australia, Zambia and Belfast. These are just some of the establishments that house pieces from MashT Design Studio. Founder Thabisa is the only South African designer with two works, the Tutu Light and Mjojo Cabinet, that are part of the permanent collection in the Louvre, Paris. Since starting MashT in 2013, Thabisa has won many accolades, including South African Designer of the Year, 2019. Passionate about bringing together technology and traditional crafts such as weaving and beading, Thabisa wants her company to achieve more than selling pretty products. Her goal is to change people’s lives in a meaningful way.

“Advice that I’ve been given and try to always follow is the importance of learning to listen to another person, and then in that listening, to understand what they are saying rather than rushing to respond.

I find my work meaningful because our products aim to add spark and joy to the spaces they’re in. They’re designed to be delightful and hopefully make people feel something, and perhaps invoke a sense of connection.

Winning the Nandos design competition in the early days of MashT boosted my confidence and self-belief. I was simply making lights that I loved and wasn’t really aware that I had the gift of designing and creating products. Through the experience of winning, it then became clear to me that the business wasn’t so much about designing and selling products, but about telling stories that matter and that people can respond to. I wasn’t aware I had this ability, so the validation made me realise that I can actually do this and I’m good at it. A play that recently inspired me is Cion, an adaptation of Zakes Mda’s book that was directed and choreographed by Gregory Maqoma. It was an incredible production that incorporated dance, sound and music to tell the story. I liked that it wasn’t limited to one genre. The actors not only used words, but their entire bodies to express a message. This, with lighting and sound design, created an experience in which the audience was completely involved.

Cinga Samson is an artist I really admire He does these beautiful portraits where the subjects are captured so convincingly, it feels like they are alive and staring directly into your soul.

My intention with MashT is to build a scalable and sustainable design business that will outlive me. I want it to be a business that will help preserve indigenous artisan skills and be a vehicle for them to generate income. I also hope it becomes a business that will establish South African design as a category brand.”

QUICK-FIRE FAVOURITES

Aeroplane essentials: Water, a good book and a hydrating mask. Most valuable gadget: My iPhone. Little luxuries: A pretty purse, skincare and me time when I need it. Regular podcast: The Diary of a CEO with Steven Bartlett. Book recommendation: The PH Miracle: Balance Your Diet, Reclaim Your Health by Robert Young and Shelley Redford Young.