Hidden gem

The Volvo South Africa x Rich Mnisi collaboration was one of the coolest collaborations to happen in 2020. The partnership that’s part of Volvo’s global #Hiddengem social media campaign saw the awardwinning designer custom-design the sleek Volvoxc40.

South African designer Rich Mnisi’s printed designs and beautiful cuts are world-famous. As part of his collaboration with Volvo SA, he added Zebra stripes in subtle grey to the exterior and green, leather door inlays inside this one-of-a-kind design.

His signature logo is embossed on the headrests, a panoramic sunroof, full leather seats, and 21-inch Fivetriple Open Spoke Black Diamond Cut alloy wheels.

Whereas the Volvo XC90 is known as ‘The Beast’, the Volvo XC40 is its baby brother.

“I never thought I’d collaborate with Volvo SA. The design is simple yet impactful and speaks to the brand,” he says.

“I added pops of colour here and there, small, beautiful details, and, of course, print work. You use cars every day, so it had to be simple, as opposed to being overwhelming or loud. It also had to speak to consumers’ lifestyles.”

“This is an exciting collaboration with Rich Mnisi that is off the back of the XC90 or The Beast campaign that we worked on last year,” says Charmagne Mavudzi, the Head of Consumer Experience at Volvo Car South Africa.

“We thought, ‘Why don’t we get creative with The Beast’s baby brother, the XC40? This is our trendsetter and city-slicker that’s targeted at a young, hip and cool audience.

“We thought, ‘Who better to do it than Rich Mnisi himself?’ Right now, the industry recognises him for his reputable work - it was just the perfect fit,” explains Charmagne.

The world has had to hit pause on life as we know it. Cities have ground to a standstill, businesses and schools have slowed, and many of our young ones are sitting at home, dreaming. We’ve been living under a cloud of uncertainty, and now’s the time to let the sun shine again, advises Charmagne.

“With our #Hiddengem campaign, we invite you to celebrate summer days, and our re-awakening. This global marketing event is built around the pertinent idea that after all we’ve been through, the ability to move is more precious than ever before.

“This summer, you’ll use your car to explore the beauty of the outdoors safely, reunite with family and revisit places of importance and meaning. Your #Hiddengem.”