Bonga Jwambi has no training. But what he has is worth so much more. Creative and committed, Jwambi has gone from a nobody lugging around cumbersome pieces of unfinished wood on public transport to one of the most recognisable faces on Cape Town’s art scene.
As an emerging artist, Jwambi started out scouring Khayelitsha in search of old rope, boxes and pallets. In a place where nothing that can be reused goes to waste, he managed to find material. He went to the Cape Town Creative Institute and used their equipment to create new products out of abandoned scrap. Today, he sells a furniture line of chairs, stools, benches and lamps. He was recognised as an Emerging Designer by Design Indaba in 2015 and has exhibited at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town and Decorex in Johannesburg.
Now Jwambi works from a studio in Fish Hoek. In addition to the products he sells, he makes pieces for pre-schools and informal settlements. It’s his way of giving back to the community that nurtured him to become the creator he is today. His accomplishments are impressive but this is just the beginning. His next quest is to spread his brand across the world.
