Thebe Magugu becomes Belmond’s first designer-in-residence

South Africa – Mount Nelson, A Belmond Hotel, has announced a landmark collaboration with South African designer Thebe Magugu, blending fashion, hospitality and culture.

To mark the 10th anniversary of his eponymous brand, Magugu is unveiling the Thebe Magugu Suite, his first foray into interior design. The re-imagined wing of the historic Mount Nelson channels an Afro-British aesthetic, blending British classicism with South African craft traditions to establish a signature designer presence in the hotel.

Complementing the suite is Magugu House Cape Town, opening in November 2025. More than a retail space, this will act as a hybrid boutique and cultural institute – part showroom, part gallery and part event venue – designed to showcase exhibitions, host artist talks and stage creative programmes. This approach embodies what LS:N Global identifies as ‘third-space retail’, where brands transform physical environments into multi-layered cultural hubs that engage communities and foster experience-led loyalty.

The partnership underlines South Africa’s luxury surge, a shift highlighted in LS:N Global’s recent Viewpoint with Style Rotate’s Georgina Bennett. Magugu, already a fixture in our reporting as one of Africa’s most innovative designers, exemplifies a new generation of creatives who are simultaneously global in influence and deeply rooted in local heritage.