Cape Town: Eden Sleep Innovation, a bed-making company, is celebrating after winning first place in the manufacturing category at the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition’s annual Furniture Design Competition.
According to South African Government News Agency, the award was presented to the company for their innovative hybrid flatpack bed base design. The creative design, known as Unibase, is engineered and manufactured locally and combines sustainable wood and recycled plastic.
Unibase is a compact ‘carry and go’ bed base that can easily fit into a car or taxi, as well as through doorways and staircases. It also saves up to 85% in space throughout the supply chain, including warehousing and transportation. The Managing Director of Eden Sleep Innovation, Aldrin John, said they are honored to have won the award as a testament to the vision of the company.
John stated, ‘Our vision as a company is to revolutionize sleep and furniture solutions with innovative, high-quality, and affordable products. This annual initiative, led by the dtic, now in its 10th year, plays a crucial role in showcasing the capabilities of local young talent and seasoned professionals in the furniture industry. We encourage more industry stakeholders to get involved in future initiatives, as they are essential for fostering innovation and growth within the South African furniture sector.’
Chief Director of Agro-processing and Forestry Based Industries at the dtic, Ncumisa Mcata-Mhlauli, explained that the competition was established by the department to promote innovation in the development of new, competitive furniture products, and to contribute towards skills development initiatives.
Mhlauli mentioned, ‘The Furniture Industry Masterplan adopted in 2021 identifies the shortage of high-level skills in the furniture industry, such as design and skilled artisans in furniture manufacturing, as a major concern.’ She further stated that the competition is an instrument the department is using to promote and encourage interest in the furniture industry and to entice upcoming designers into the industry.
Mhlauli added, ‘We want to raise and nurture design capabilities in the country, raise the image of the furniture manufacturing industry in South Africa, improve the industry’s competitiveness and reposition the industry for high value-added products.’