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Designers in Africa: Birth of new boom industry
Africa is brimming with design talent and expertise. Many African-designed products have been international hits and more are on the way. Fayruz Hamed looks at some of the strides made to date.
Africans, we’ve always known, are some of the most innovative people in the world – but not many know that African talent in invention and design can be breathtaking. For example, take South African Colin Vale, who developed a paraffin stove that extinguishes itself when knocked over, reducing the chance of shack fires. Or Malawian William Kamkwamba, who created a wind turbine from scrap and bicycle parts to light up his house at night. Then there is Azemeraw Zeleke from Ethiopia, who transforms artillery shells into coffee machines. Simple, inexpensive design solutions have proved both functional and transformational in Africa. But design does not begin and end with pragmatic innovations.
Consider, too, the Africans who have been making waves in design circles all over the world: Tanzanian-born architect David Adjaye, for one, and South African fashion designers Gavin Rajah and Nkhensani Nkhosi. In truth, design – from humble solutions to great, visionary projects – is big business. The design economy has been growing worldwide, economic recession notwithstanding, and Africa is set to apply itself in terms of developing a creative design culture. The challenges are great, of course. Africa cannot compete on a global scale in terms of product output and trade limitations mean that export is often restricted or simply not viable. But there has never been a better time for Africa to take advantage of new technology and the support of educational institutions.
To become truly competitive though, the continent must do things in its own way, with its own brand of excellence and innovation. Africans can grasp the best of design worldwide, as well as the best the continent has to offer and transform it into something new, compelling, beautiful and sustainable. Small pockets of success show that African design development has reached the point at which it can play a very real role in addressing poverty and unemployment throughout the continent. From craft initiatives in rural villages to multi-disciplinary industrial projects that boast global collaboration, design can boost a nation’s GDP. There is little doubt that South Africa is at the hub of African design initiatives. “South Africa leads the way in promoting design across Africa and within South Africa. Other countries can learn from South Africa,” says Dr Richie Moalosi, a lecturer in industrial design at the University of Botswana. “In Botswana, the government has recently set up the Botswana Innovation Hub of Design, which will play a very important part in promoting design,” he says. Moalosi believes that innovation is crucial to helping Africa’s small and medium micro enterprises (SMMEs) to stay ahead of local and global competition. “If governments can help SMMEs to register their designs, intellectual property rights owners will reap rewards from their innovations,” he says.
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