Nosipho Tapile

What does your company do?

Space Edge Designs is an interior architectural company. A dynamic company that has distinguished itself in residential, retail and corporate design since 2016. Since launching, Space Edge Designs has grown enormously, having completed projects locally and internationally. Our firm is involved in creating architectural and interior spaces that reflect and narrate our client’s lifestyle and personality. While taking care of the entire process through conceptualization, documentation, implementation and procurement. Space Edge Designs collaborative approach with the client implements design principles, space analysis, acquired skills, and knowledge to produce interior architectural designs that are highly opulent, unique, and depict authenticity.

What is your biggest success?

We have encountered numerous challenges in this journey. The biggest challenge was not having enough capital as anyone in business would expect, we only relied on our conceptualized work portfolio. We struggled to build immediate trust with potential clients because we were still new in the industry. We had to find innovative means of creating a portfolio and simultaneously make money to build capital for both offices. We also had another challenge of sourcing clients to be able to build the work portfolio we needed so much. In the design field, a portfolio is very crucial as it plays a pivotal role in building trust and relationship with potential clients. We therefore developed strategies to overcome these challenges by creating models to show our ability to design. We also utilize social media to the best advantage. This strategy implementation helped us when we were still new and to date because, slowly small jobs to which have grown to massive projects, one of which was a restaurant design that is owned by one of South Africa's well-known music artist, and that project gave our company a boost.

What has been your biggest hurdle?

As a company who's always prepared to go an extra mile for our clients, with an in-depth understanding of the importance of reputation and portfolio in mind. We take it upon ourselves to keep developing our design skills and knowledge. We expanded our horizon by creating a relationship with an architectural and Interior company based in Sweden, Umea, which provides us with an additional local and international exposure in terms of our outlook on design. Getting the company to be on an international scale, where we work internationally consistently has been one of our biggest hurdles as well as juggling the two offices which are based in Johannesburg and Durban.