NEXT24: Showcasing South Africa’s Craft and Design Talent

WORDS Gina Dionisio PHOTOS Supplied

NEXT24 will spotlight 24 exciting South African brands ready to make their mark on the global stage.

The annual NEXT trade exhibition returns for its 7th edition at Decorex Cape Town 2024, showcasing a curated selection of 24 craft and design brands from across South Africa, all chosen for their international market potential.

Coordinated by Fran Stewart from the Craft and Design Institute (CDI), the exhibition is aimed primarily at local and international buyers sourcing for the global market. All NEXT24 exhibitors are coached through the CDI’s export development programme, which has supported more than 70 businesses since inception. This programme has been running for several years and was initiated and run with the support of the Dutch Centre for the Promotion of Imports from Developing Countries (CBI). 

READ MORE: Decorex 2024: Designing for Impact and a Sustainable Future

Sustainability and ethical design are a major focus for this year’s cohort (and for Decorex as a whole) – from the sourcing of materials to the crafting processes themselves. “We’ve seen some stand-out work in our product sessions – fresh, contemporary and exciting – and we can’t wait for the public and buyers to get a glimpse of them at Decorex,” says Fran. 

NEXT24 will introduce 12 new participants and will welcome back 12 former exhibitors. Among the first-timers are former Design Indaba Emerging Creatives Leila Atelier and Ananta Design Studio, upcycle designers Plasticity, jewellery creators Ditakki and Zulu Mien, and Karoo Baba who works with merino wool.

GOING FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH

NEXT has seen its past participants go on to further success. Last year’s NEXT23 participant Bonolo Chepape of Lulasclan, a uniquely African textile brand, recently opened a store in The Watershed at the V&A Waterfront. “The CDI’s export training helped her to become ‘export-ready and to identify the sweet spots where I could possibly improve my product and marketing. It was such a valuable programme to be in,” says Bonolo.

Decorex Cape Town and Joburg

Experience this active shift towards impact design for yourself and join the designers and creatives paving the way to the future at Decorex Cape Town (6 to 9 June 2024 at the CTICC) and Decorex Joburg (1 to 4 August 2024 at the Sandton Convention Centre) | decorex.co.za.

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