Manscape winner shares cash prize at Decorex Durban

The Manscapes were a huge drawcard at Decorex Durban, where three local personalities were invited to create the ultimate outdoor manscape and raise money for a charity of their choice.

Decorex Durban took place at the Durban Exhibition Centre between 20 and 23 March.

A three-way split

Former professional cricketer and 2014 overall Manscape winner, Russel Symcox.

Other Durban personalities taking part in the Manscapes installation feature were champion surfer Daniel Redman and East Coast FM DJ Gabriel Sithole. Each of the three men was teamed up with a KZN landscaper to create an outdoor space with its own unique signature and all were in the running for a cash prize to their charities from Decorex Durban. Although Symcox received the most votes from Decorex Durban visitors, he decided that sharing the cash prize amongst the three charities was simply the right thing to do. He said, "We all put a lot of effort into making our manscapes happen, it is just fair that all three charities benefit from what we have done here."

That means that the R10,000 prize from Decorex Durban will be split three ways. The individually collected donations during the exhibition will go to each of the respective charities.

Palette furniture

Working with the team from Green Earth Landscapes, Symcox's manscape was a verdant showcase of upcycled packaging palette furniture - a green concept that is close to his heart and clearly caught the attention of Decorex visitors too. In fact, Symcox is so taken with the concept of affordable palette furniture that he is considering establishing a community project to go into palette furniture production.

Charities of choice

Johnny and Nicky Koekemoer from 4 Paws and a Tale Rescue at Decorex Durban 2014 with Molly and Stoney at Russel Symcox’s manscape.

The popularity of the former cricketer's manscape may also have had something to do with the cute rescue dogs that he brought along every day. Symcox's chosen charity, 4 Paws and a Tale Rescue, feed, rescue, sterilize and rehome needy animals on the KZN South Coast. Symcox even managed to find homes for three dogs at Decorex Durban.

Surfer Dan Redman's chosen charity was Surfers Not Street Children - an organisation that takes homeless children off the streets, teaches them how to surf and offers them an opportunity to rise above their unfortunate circumstances. DJ Gabriel Sithole supported Bright Stars for abused children.

Don't miss the next series of the Manscape Project at Decorex Cape Town at the CTICC later this month.