Johannesburg-based designer Siyanda Mazibuko is a furniture builder who recently started building his own career employing a mix of pure enthusiasm and self-taught skill. His signature line, PATE, is a homeware and furniture range designed for the socially conscious.

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Many of Mazibuko's products are made from upcycled or second-hand materials, and all the pieces of wood are purchased from local suppliers. "My previous business focused specifically on upholstery. Being part of that business exposed me to a broader perspective of design. It also showed me how wood can be used to create homeware. I literally developed an obsession for woodwork," says Mazibuko.

Although Mazibuko was always creative and took art classes in school, he never had a formal education from a design institution. He received some training from Furntech, South Africa's only furniture incubator, which teaches its students vocational and business skills. "I grew as a designer and that was the birth of PATE," Mazibuko shares about his journey. "PATE Arts and Crafts is about giving a design experience through imagined ideas, a building process, to a finished product."

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The inspiration for the Lambo stools, which form part of the PATE range, came from the geometries of modern design. "When the stools are placed next to each other they appear inseparable and look like two Lamborghinis parked together." 

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"The Mboba chair symbolises African strength and aims to portray a characteristic of a solid presence. I've also joined an African theme with a modern design to give a very distinctive look and feel. The word Mbona means 'beats'."

Mazibuko aims to bring together western design inspiration with his African heritage.

Siyanda Mazibuko is part of the Design Indaba Emerging Creatives Programme 2016. To see the full collection of featured South African creatives go to designindaba.com/southafricandesign.