100% Design Futures: Phillipe Van Der Merwe

From July 24 - 27, RX Africa will host 100% Design, Africa’s finest international design fair. Held annually at the Sandton International Convention Centre, the showcase sees a gathering of the cream of the interior and adjacent design industries, bringing together “an array of domains, from furniture and product design to technology and art.” Wanted was there in 2024, collaborating on a booth with some of our friends in the industry. We spent the weekend meeting and chatting to our readers, crafters and collaborators. The more formal conversations took the form of a series of recorded interviews with our partners, which we have shared with you on this podcast over the last few months. We spoke to Bielle Bellingham (then executive creative director of Decorex and 100% Design); the artist Fhatuwani Mukheli, Zanele Kumalo, the associate director at Kalashnikovv Gallery and Greg Gamble, co-founder at Tonic Design. In this, the last episode of the series, we speak with Philippe van der Merwe, interior designer and co-owner with Gamble, of Tonic Design. Philippe takes us through the allure of design fairs, the convergence of art and design, the importance of personalities in the design world and a lot more.