Celebrate Local Makers & Creatives with Design Week South Africa

After an incredible four days in Johannesburg, Design Week South Africa moves to Cape Town for workshops, tours, and panel discussions that spotlight trailblazers and look to the future of the local design sector.

Here’s everything participants need to know.

Our Favourite Design Week South Africa Events

This year’s programme continues to be a diverse, all-inclusive celebration of local talent and innovation. Here are some highlights from the 2026 edition:

The opening event is a window launch party at AKJP Studio, a proudly African fashion concept store. Award-winning illustrator Pr$dnt Honey explores their depiction of Cape Town for the Design Week poster, unpacking the imagery, style, and colours used to represent the Mother City. Meanwhile, participants discuss the festival while sipping bubbles by Krone.

Design Kids CPT is hosting a Speed Dating event, where creatives with an idea, an elevator pitch, or a project come together to give & receive feedback and meet one another. TDK is a global artist collective that helps young artists build their careers, giving Cape Town’s designers a regular social meetup to chat, work on passion projects, and engage with their community in a laid-back, cosy setting.

Unbuilt is a new exhibition that brings together built-environment ideas, prototypes, and projects that tackle accessibility, improve community connection, and move towards a more people-focused South Africa. The exhibition brings together designers, architects, developers, and organisations working across public space, including Mission for Inner City Cape Town, Young Urbanists, and Flat Rock Studio.

Participants can join artist Atang Tshikare and maker Kobe Darko of Sun Stories for Design Week South Africa’s first Morning Session on how visual languages become personal, and what happens when they travel across the world. Tshikare’s work, which draws on his Tswana heritage, has been commissioned by global brands like Dior & Adidas. Darko works with Ghanaian makers whose traditional ceramics land up in international markets. They are joined by Zeitz MOCAA curator Dr Phokeng Setai.

Women in Industry highlights three women-owned businesses in South Africa, including dog accessory designers Chommies, third-generation furniture makers Wunders, and award-winning multidisciplinary designer Bonolo Chepape. Each session introduces each company and their work, with a section for questions from attendees.

Finally, The Pulse of Culture is Design Week South Africa’s platform for dialogue between local musicians and designers, tackling everything from album art to creative direction and live show videography. The discussion explores collaboration and experimentation between two complementary, distinct art forms.

How to Visit

Design Week South Africa is presented by Pinterest, with the Mother City edition created in collaboration with Mission for Inner City Cape Town, an organisation dedicated to improving conditions in and around the CBD. Most events are free to the public, with some requiring an online RSVP and others an entry fee.

The full Design Week South Africa programme can be found on the website.

When: Thursday – Sunday, 22 – 25 October 2026
Where: Various venues across Cape Town

Instagram: @designweeksouthafrica