WHY THIS, WHY NOW
A design founder who turned heritage craft into a brand by treating storytelling — and TikTok — as a distribution channel. Savannah Space (2018) draws on mkeka weavers, soapstone carvers and welders; Kihato won the 2019 Sinapis competition and in 2026 was featured in TikTok's African all-stars coverage for using storytelling to grow a luxury furniture brand internationally. A rare case study where 'made-in-Africa luxury', artisan supply chains and platform distribution collide in one founder — and it's documented in public.
THE QUESTIONS WE’D PUT
- 01
You left a path into the development sector to make furniture. What did you come to believe about craft and economics that policy work couldn't deliver?
- 02
'Made in Africa luxury' is everywhere as a slogan now. What does it actually cost — in time, in supply chain, in margin — to make it real rather than aesthetic?
- 03
You've said storytelling brought real clients. Walk us through one piece of content that converted — what was true in it that a polished ad couldn't be?
- 04
Your suppliers are weavers, carvers, welders. How do you price a piece so the heritage isn't extracted cheaply — and where does that put you against imported 'African-inspired' goods?
- 05
If a Western brand wants to 'collaborate' with African craft, what's the difference between a partnership you'd take and one you'd walk away from?
A conversation we’re pursuing — the brief and questions, openly. Sourced, never fabricated.