Nando’s has become a household name across South Africa as one of the best fast-food restaurants the country has to offer. Starting in 1987 by two friends, Robert Brozin and Fernando Duarte, in what was once a bustling Portuguese community in Rosettenville, Johannesburg, the brand has grown from humble beginnings to global recognition.
The friends had struck gold after curating one of the most sought-after peri-peri chicken recipes, one that could even rival the 11 herbs and spices that the Colonel had concocted. Their unique blend of flavors and warm hospitality quickly captured the hearts and palates of South Africans.
After finding early success in the South African market, Nando’s diversified and opened its first international store in Ealing, United Kingdom, in 1992. The famous chicken brand wildly exceeded expectations and is now a favorite fast-food option in the UK, with hundreds of locations across the country.
But they didn’t stop there. Nando’s opened their first US-based restaurant in Washington DC in 2008, before expanding into Chicago in 2015. Today, the restaurant chain operates in over 30 countries worldwide, serving their flame-grilled peri-peri chicken to millions of customers.
This is all to say that the small chicken shop that started in Rosettenville, Johannesburg became a global chicken empire that has found huge success on the global stage. Yet despite this international growth, Nando’s has never forgotten its South African roots.
The brand remains a staple of the South African fast-food scene and, thanks to their now world-famous advertising campaigns, has also placed itself at the forefront of the cultural zeitgeist. In fact, their fame in the advertising space arguably paved the way for brands like Checkers Sixty60 to become what they are today.
Nando’s has made so many waves in the advertising space that its work as a creative force is almost as renowned as their chicken. They recognize this too, and make every effort they can to support other South African creators. One of their most significant initiatives in this regard is the Nando’s Creative Block, a program dedicated to nurturing local artistic talent and showcasing South African creativity to the world.
How does Nandos Creative Block work?
In keeping with their positioning as a staple of the creative community in South Africa, Nando’s has decided to focus their attention on South African artists. The most notable form of support is the Creative Block initiative, which gives South African artists the ability to have their work recognized on the world stage as well as to help support them financially.
The concept is relatively simple. The Creative Block programme is open to all Southern African artists to hone their skills and earn regular income. Every month, participating artists are sent a blank block to create something magical with, send back for curatorial review, and then sell to the public—with Nando’s themselves being among the most significant buyers.
As a buyer, Nando’s uses the initiative as a way to furnish their restaurants around the world, inadvertently giving local South African artists the chance of having their artwork displayed in restaurants that span over 30 countries. This provides far more exposure than most artists are ever able to access through traditional gallery systems alone.
When Nando’s isn’t buying up original pieces from their partner artists, the artwork is sold directly to collectors all over the world through their partnership with the Spier Arts Trust, with whom Nando’s works in close collaboration to make the Creative Block possible.
As a group of creatives themselves, Nando’s is well aware of the struggles that many artists and creatives face. One of the most challenging aspects is the financial burden associated with creating art. It is one of the worst catch-22 scenarios imaginable: artists need to create art in order to fund their lives, but the only way to create art is by having the time to create—a luxury only afforded to those with enough money to buy their own time.
Nando’s has done an outstanding job in supporting these artists and giving them the opportunity to help fund their dreams by offering these creative blocks on a monthly basis. This regular income stream provides stability in what is typically an unpredictable profession, allowing artists to focus on their craft without the constant pressure of financial insecurity.
Nandos Creativity
The Nandos Creative Block initiative is not the only way in which Nandos actively supports South African artists but falls as part of a larger programme to support South African artists across various stages of their careers.
Some of the artists who take part in Creative Block go on to join Nando’s artist development programmes, such as Nando’s Creative Exchange. As artist Ricky Dyaloyi notes, “I feel that the Creative Block is a trustworthy, flexible vehicle for elemental artists yearning for self-expression, participation and mutual aid.” Dyaloyi first became involved with Nando’s through the programme and has since also taken part in the Nando’s Artists Society and Chicken Run programmes (other programmes within the Nando’s Art Initiative). Today, Ricky is represented by Everard Read in South Africa and in London, showcasing how these initiatives can genuinely launch significant artistic careers.
The Nando’s Creative Exchange is another key component of their artistic support system. In 2018, the exchange opened at the AVA Gallery in Cape Town, bringing the works of four of the hottest emerging Southern African artists to the Mother City. The group exhibition, titled “Rituals,” was presented in partnership with Spier Arts Trust and showcased the works of Christo Basson, Ludumo Maqabuka, Nkoali Nawa and Nkosinathi Quwe.
At Nando’s, there is a passionate commitment to Southern African heritage, which is why they invest in local art and artists. In fact, Nando’s is the largest collector of Southern African art in the world, with over 21,000 artworks in their collection. They support more than 350 artists, whose work is displayed in more than 1,200 restaurants in 24 countries around the world, creating an unprecedented international platform for African artistic expression.
The Creative Exchange programme specifically creates a mentoring opportunity for artists to develop their narratives in their work while building the professional-practice skills vital for their career development. This holistic approach recognizes that artistic success requires not just creative talent but also business acumen and professional skills.
The 2018 Nando’s Creative Exchange exhibition, “Rituals,” acknowledged that in the past decade, artists’ concepts have shifted from justice and injustice to rituals – the gathering of real experience beyond imagined ideals. The four featured artists found meaning in rituals of the everyday. From music sampling to religious devotion, and from work to play, they borrowed from these experiences to create new realities.
Another initiative in Nando’s creative arsenal is the “Chicken Run” programme. This refers to a program where Southern African artists have their work curated and potentially purchased by Nando’s, with the goal of showcasing and supporting South African art both in Nando’s restaurants and in a broader art market, according to Nandos Creativity. This program allows artists to develop their skills and earn income, while also providing Nando’s with unique and high-quality art pieces for their restaurants, creating a mutually beneficial relationship between the brand and the creative community.
