A New Vision of African Design at Decorex Joburg 2025

Capitec handmadeAFRICA Pavilion presents the future of African luxury at Decorex Joburg.

WORDS Gina Dionisio PHOTOS Supplied

Curated by Decorex Africa’s Creative Directors Garreth van Niekerk and Alan Hayward, the Capitec handmadeAFRICA Pavilion brings an extraordinary showcase of contemporary designers from across the continent to this year’s Decorex Joburg. Spotlighting craftsmanship, cultural intelligence, and collectable design, the Pavilion will present handmade modern African luxury to visitors.

“This Pavilion is a statement of African excellence,” says Garreth van Niekerk. “It speaks to a continent not stuck in its past, but actively reshaping the future of global design, one handmade piece at a time. Cape Town was a huge success – affirmation that our curatorial instinct is sound. The bold pink Chela Broom wall by Bambizulu became one of the most ‘Instagrammable’ moments of the show. But more importantly, we introduced exceptional designers to new markets, giving their work the visibility it deserves.”

What to See

BambiZulu

BambiZulu debuts the Chela Broom – a radiant design object inspired by traditional Zulu brooms. Collaborating with handmadeAFRICA, BambiZulu reimagines this domestic icon using sustainably sourced ilala palm, vibrant grasses hand-harvested in Nongoma, and bold basket-weave handles developed with the women weavers of Hlabisa.

Monkeybiz

Monkeybiz, the trailblazing bead collective, showcases iconic artworks created by over 300 women bead artists from under-resourced communities.

LRNCE

LRNCE presents its painterly ceramics from Marrakech. Each plate is hand-painted by founder Laurence Leenaert, blending abstraction and symbolism.

Roxas

Roxas presents ceramic vessels and sculptures inscribed with text – poetic, humorous, and quietly philosophical. Created in Morocco, these pieces blur the line between function and art.

Luminaire d’Afrique

Luminaire d’Afrique launches its first collection of high-end lighting – collaborative works involving Ngwenya Glass, Bambizulu, master weaver Beauty Ngxongo, and Johannesburg’s finest lighting manufacturers.

Leatile Mosime Furniture

Leatile Mosime Furniture offers sculptural pieces made from indigenous wood, embracing traditional Tswana joinery. A Botswana-born architect turned designer, Mosime celebrates the imperfections of timber with an honesty and reverence that speaks to deep place-based practice.

Kind Kid

Kind Kid, created by Sanele Kwabe, shows monumental 3D-printed sculptures – scaled-up versions of playful toy-like characters, now chrome-plated in South Africa.

Bombisa

Bombisa, founded by Lazi Mathebula, launches the Isivunguvungu series – intricate paper sculptures exploring the tension between chaos and calm.

The Ninevites

The Ninevites is a design studio and collaborative platform founded by Nkuli Mlangeni-Berg. Gathering threads from across the continent and weaving them all into one beautiful story, The Nineevites make beautiful rugs, cushions, blankets and kitchenware using inventive designs with made-to-be-touched textures.

Moya African Glass Network

Moya African Glass Network is a non-profit company that strives to build a thriving Pan-African glass art community by connecting artists, collectors and enthusiasts while promoting education, sustainability and resource sharing. The featured artists include Mike Hyam, Lothar Bottcher and Martli Jansen van Rensburg.

Capitec handmadeAFRICA Design MRKT

Capitec handmadeAFRICA has teamed up with Decorex AFRICA to present the Design MRKT – an exciting expansion of its retail capsule that will spread across two floors (L4 & L5) at Decorex Johannesburg. 

Spotlight on Emerging Talent

The curators have selected three Spotlight Designers to watch out for across the Capitec HandmadeAFRICA Pavilion and the Design MRKT:

• BambiZulu, whose Chela Broom signals the beginning of a series of provocative, culturally resonant design objects from their collaboration with handmadeAFRICA.
• Bombisa, bringing poetic power to paper with their origami-inspired creations.
• Aaliyah Makoni, purveyor of bold, colourful wares for women and their homes. Known for their proprietary hand-designed prints, Makoni’s accessories and décor pieces speak directly to self-expression, individuality, and joyful living.

Dates and times

24 – 27 July 2025 | Sandton Convention Centre | Open daily 10am–6pm | decorex.co.za

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