Mr. Mholiwezizwe F. Mthembu
Mholiwezizwe Ferdinand Mthembu is a South African Professional Architect, Entrepreneur & Design Leader with more than two decades of experience across architecture, the built environment and project delivery.
He holds undergraduate and post-graduate architectural qualifications from the University of KwaZulu-Natal and is registered as a Professional Architect with the South African Council for the Architectural Profession (SACAP). He is also a member of the South African Institute of Architects (SAIA) and the KwaZulu-Natal Institute for Architecture (KZNIA).
Mholi's career has encompassed the design and delivery of projects across the healthcare, education, public infrastructure, commercial and corporate sectors. His experience includes complex healthcare projects, as well as public educational infrastructure and commercial workplace environments. This breadth of work has developed his expertise in architectural design, multidisciplinary coordination, project management, stakeholder engagement and the translation of design concepts into built outcomes.
His entrepreneurial journey has been equally central to his professional development. After more than a decade gaining experience in established architectural practices and the public sector, Mholi co-founded DM2 Architects, which developed a strong focus on public-sector and social infrastructure. He later co-founded MAD Design Studios, where he serves as Director and leads architecture, projects and operations. His entrepreneurial interests have also extended beyond the built environment into other sectors, including hospitality, where he was a co-owner of Madam & Sir, a recognised and award-nominated Durban restaurant brand. These experiences have broadened his perspective on design not only as a professional discipline, but as an important contributor to enterprise, brand, customer experience and economic activity.
At MAD Design Studios, Mholi has helped develop an increasingly integrated approach to the built environment, bringing together architecture, interior design, project delivery and kitchen and furniture manufacturing. This evolution reflects his broader interest in closing the gap between design thinking and implementation - creating stronger connections between what is conceived, how it is technically resolved, how it is made, and ultimately how it performs in the real world.
Mholi brings to the Design Institute of South Africa (DISA) Board a perspective shaped by professional practice, entrepreneurship and hands-on project delivery. He has a particular interest in strengthening the relationship between design, industry and economic development, and in advancing the role of South African design as a catalyst for innovation, local manufacturing, skills development and sustainable enterprise.
He believes that South Africa's design disciplines have an important role to play not only in shaping better spaces and products, but also in building competitive industries, meaningful employment and a stronger culture of locally conceived and produced design.