Design Week South Africa: Cape Town

Design Week South Africa returns to the Mother City – from 23–26 October – for the second leg of this year’s event.

WORDS Gina Dionisio PHOTOS Supplied POSTER Illustration by Koos Groenewald

Design Week South Africa – a curated calendar of events and immersive experiences showcasing the future of South African design – lands in Cape Town for the second year.

“The programme is intentionally dense, offering a rich mix of events and experiences. Attendees are encouraged to curate their own journey through the four days, when the city itself will be alive with activity, offering countless ways to engage and explore,” says Design Week South Africa founder Margot Molyneux.

What to expect

Here are some Cape Town highlights to look forward to: 

Studio tours

Exclusive studio tours include designers:

• Laurie Wiid of Wiid Design
• Ploy and Guy of Hoi P’loy
• Heather Moore of Skinny laMinx
• a tour of the new mixed-use Longkoof Precinct in Park Road by dhk architects and Studio Mass.

Parties

• The official opening party will be held at One Park on Friday 23 October, with DJs from both Cape Town and Johannesburg, while the closing party will be held on Sunday 26 October at Cape Grace Hotel with Jazz Alley.

Talks

Each morning from Thursday to Sunday (9:00–10:30), over coffee at Max Bagels at One Park, leading creatives will share the ideas, challenges and inspiration driving their practice. Joining the conversation in Cape Town are guests including:

• Yoko Choy, Wallpaper China
• Amy Thompson, Yes & Studio
• Max Melville, The MAAK
• Star Shongwe from the V&A Watershed.

Launches 

A host of brands will be launching new collections, including:

• Cape Cobra
• Curacion Collection
• Yamkela Mhlelehlele
• a MAISON KOTR installation – supported by CEC – at Arthur’s Mini Super in Sea Point.
• Furniture designer Tshidzo Mangena of Locha Design will launch his new outdoor furniture collection, Akan, with a lounge installation activating the street outside One Park in Park Road on Friday 23 October.

Exhibitions

The Things We Love exhibition is a collection of local creatives’ favourite South African–designed and –made items intentionally chosen from their homes Participants include:

• Masego Morgan
• Koos Groenewald
• Onesimo Bam

The exhibition will run over the course of Design Week South Africa at 107 Castle Street.

Beyond the City Bowl, Open Langa kicks off on 26 October 2025 with a special Open Streets Day, transforming King Langa Libalele and Lerotholi Avenue into vibrant, car-free public spaces to walk, play and connect. Anchored by the ReBuilt Cape Town exhibition at 16 on Lerotholi by Bauhaus Earth and local partners such as the Masakhe Foundation and African Centre for Cities, the exhibition will be open to the public; on the 26th, the road will be pedestrianised and closed to cars.

The Active Mobility Forum will lead a community ride from both the CBD and Khayelitsha, marking the start of weekly street closures that celebrate movement, culture and the reimagining of Cape Town’s streets for people.

And for the first time since its launch, the Soweto-Caracas Community Centre will open to the public for a special site visit on Saturday 25 October. Hosted by Young Urbanists and Urban Think Tank Empower (UTTE), the visit offers a rare look inside this landmark of community-led design and local upliftment in Khayelitsha. | designweeksouthafrica.com

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