Mpho Vackier shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Mpho, so good to connect and we’re excited to share your story and insights with our audience. There’s a ton to learn from your story, but let’s start with a warm up before we get into the heart of the interview. What’s more important to you—intelligence, energy, or integrity?
Integrity comes first. It anchors how you lead, collaborate, and connect your work to others. It guides choices even when no one is watching and keeps the work true to its purpose and cultural roots.
Energy follows. It fuels resilience, creativity, and the drive to keep building, experimenting, and leading through both the challenges and the rewards of making. Intelligence is vital but most powerful when guided by integrity and sustained by energy. It enables strategy, innovation, and adaptability while staying grounded and purposeful.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m Mpho Vackier, Founder and Creative Director of TheUrbanative, a Johannesburg-based contemporary furniture and product design studio. My background is in process engineering and interior design, but my passion lies in storytelling through product & furniture design. TheUrbanative was created to explore how African stories, materials, and craft can shape modern living.
Our work merges heritage with modern design, drawing on cultural symbols and philosophies from across Africa and reinterpreting them through clean, contemporary forms. Each collection reflects a deep respect for craft, sustainability, and authenticity.
We collaborate with local artisans and small manufacturers skilled in weaving, metalwork and joinery to produce pieces that are meaningful and made with purpose. Right now, we’re expanding globally while continuing to explore new materials, finishes, and stories that reflect the evolving language of African design.
Okay, so here’s a deep one: Who were you before the world told you who you had to be?
Before the world told me who I had to be, I was a curious and observant child who loved to make things, to understand how they worked and to imagine new possibilities. I was drawn to both science and storytelling and that balance became the heart of my work.
I have always been a maker at heart; someone who sees the world through connections between people. Before titles or expectations I was simply a girl who investigated and questioned the why’s of the world around her. In many ways, TheUrbanative is a return to that early self, the part of me that believes creativity can be both deeply personal and powerfully communal.
If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
I would tell her to trust her voice. The quiet parts of her; the questions, curiosity and the way she sees the world are her greatest gifts. I would remind her that her path will not always be straight but every experience will shape her into who she is meant to become.
Even when the path led through engineering before finding its way to design, it was all part of learning how to build, understand and create with both logic and heart. I would tell her to keep creating, to stay soft even when life feels hard and to know that she is already enough. Every step, even the unexpected ones, will lead her closer to her purpose.
Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. What would your closest friends say really matters to you?
My closest friends would probably say that what matters most to me is authenticity. They know I care deeply about living in alignment with what I believe, being kind and staying grounded no matter how much life shifts. They would say that I am curious, reflective and always searching for meaning in the things I create and the relationships I build.
They would also say that I care about people, about seeing them, hearing them and creating spaces where they can feel valued. They know that I find joy in honest conversation, laughter and beauty whether it is found in nature, music or the simple act of making something with my hands. At my core they would say I am someone who wants to connect, create and contribute to something honest and lasting.
Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. Could you give everything your best, even if no one ever praised you for it?
Yes, I could and I think that is simply how I am wired. It has never been about recognition or praise. For me it is about showing up fully, giving my best and doing things with intention. It is a way of being, a way of honouring both the work and the people who are part of it.
It reminds me that the work itself is the reward, that the process of creating with care shapes who I am as much as what I make. This way of thinking has shaped the culture at TheUrbanative where we value excellence not because someone is watching but because it reflects who we are. I want my team to feel proud of what they create and to see their work as an expression of self and community.
There is a quiet joy that comes from knowing you gave your all, from seeing the care in a finished piece or in a well-resolved idea. That fulfilment lasts longer than any external praise.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.theurbanative.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theurbanative/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/theurbanative
- Twitter: https://x.com/theurbanative_
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theurbanative
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@theurbanative
Image Credits
Sarah Depina and Aart Verrips
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