Made In Workshop has big changes coming – 1 100m² of changes, in fact. The makerspace is moving into a new premises that’s almost three times bigger than the current workshop, while close to R1 500 000 has been invested in brand-new, industrial-grade workshop equipment.

To understand where the Maker Movement is today in South Africa, and where it may be heading, we need to go back to its African inception in 2009.

“Never angle grind in frustration,” says Craig Bartlett, a regular at Made In Workshop who had a scorching experience in the makerspace.

What happened to those plyers you left lying around – the ones you need right this second? Henry happened. What happened to that piece of paper you scribbled all your design notes on? Henry happened.

For Brad Johnston, the founder and owner of industrial design consultancy Design For Industry in Lonehill, industrial design is a challenging industry in South Africa – but Made In Workshop is a major boon.

Nik has a degree in mechanical engineering from the University of the Witwatersrand and he is currently doing his master’s part-time. As part of his master’s, he had to find a way to make 3D-metal printed products last longer.