Louis Vuitton redefines the concept of ‘High Fidelity’ with its latest tech-forward portable fashion accessory – the LV Nanogram Speaker.

Louis Vuitton’s collection of beautifully crafted connected objects continues its journey with the introduction of the new portable LV Nanogram Speaker. Conceptualised and designed in the same spirit that has guided the Maison’s creativity for generations, the LV Nanogram Speaker is lightweight, packed with features and delivers breathtaking sound.

The LV Nanogram Speaker is available in three colourways: The LV Nanogram Speaker is available in three colorways: timeless “Silver”, natural “Copper”, and statement khaki green “Damoflage”. The latter, created by Louis Vuitton’s Men Creative Director Pharrell Williams, made a serious impression when it debuted at the brand’s Men’s Spring-Summer 2024 show. This special edition colourway takes elements of French camouflage and Louis Vuitton’s emblematic Damier motif and fuses them in a striking, digitised pattern.

In terms of design, the LV Nanogram Speaker has been conceptualised for the ‘neo-adventurer’. As such, it is both a state-of-the-art connected audio device and a new expression of an ageless story that began with the iconic trunks Louis Vuitton first presented to travellers 165 years ago. Weighing just 520gm, and with an aluminium body and colour-matched, metallised rubber ring, it’s ready for life on the go. It also comes with a removable hook so it can be attached to a bag or belt loop, underlining its singular status as an innovative portable accessory.

The speaker was developed with the expertise of Harman, a globally renowned audio expert company, and delivers rich, room-filling sound with remarkable frequency response. Despite its compact proportions, it can achieve a maximum loudness of 84 dB and offer up to 17 hours of autonomy for all-day and all-night audio. Perfect for audiophiles looking for a luxury listening experience. | eu.louisvuitton.com

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Bang & Olufsen presents the powerful home speaker Beosound Balance.

Created with a passion for music, design and craftmanship, Beosound Balance is inspired by interior objects to redefine home audio in a way that only Bang & Olufsen can: a soft, rounded silhouette using interior-first materials such as solid oak wood and knitted textile, an innovative user interface that hides when not in use and seven carefully placed speaker drivers with beam-forming technology that lets the user choose between powerful and room-filling sound for everyday listening and sound directivity for precise and immersive music experiences.

Blending in as an interior object, Beosound Balance has a hidden touch interface to manually control the speaker. When approaching the speaker, the interface lights up using light-trough aluminium technology and invites the user to interact with the speaker. Swipe around the top plate to control volume or touch on the icons to change tracks, pause the music and select pre-saved favourite listening experience for easy access. When walking away from the speaker, the interface dims leaving nothing but the aluminium surface visible.

The concept for Beosound Balance was to make sure that beautiful aesthetics, innovation and powerful sound go hand in hand, explains Bang & Olufsen VP of Design Gavin Ivester: “The vision with Beosound Balance is to make the speaker feel like an extension of the atmosphere in the home – reflecting the place it is in and the person using it. The design is both sensorial and tactile, with a look and feel driven by high quality interior craftsmanship and materials, as well as highly innovative. Listening modes allow tailored acoustics when needed, and carefree, stunning sound when wanted— putting listeners in control of a broad range of experiences that soothe, excite, and create joy”

A speaker dedicated to purposeful technology

Being a forerunner in making speakers for the home did not sacrifice on Bang & Olufsen’s dedication to deliver purposeful technology. Beosound Balance comes with seven uniquely configured speaker drivers with two opposing woofers that generate a powerful bass sound that cancel out vibrations that could upset the neighbours. Beosound Balance also brings forward an innovative and flexible acoustic experience based on two sound modes – an omni-directional mode ensuring a uniform sound experience around the speaker, and a sound mode delivering a precisely focused and unique ambient experience. Both technologies have trickled down from the flagship Bang & Olufsen Beolab speakers.

Active room compensation for tailored Bang & Olufsen Signature Sound Setting up Beosound

Balance for the first time, the speaker will guide you through the active room compensation technology in Beosound Balance enabling the speaker to analyse your room with an internal microphone and creates a set of user defined filters that compensates for sound reflections in your home. Beosound Balance will use low frequencies to analyse the room, and the result is a perfectly tailored B&O Signature Sound.

For more information, visit bang-olufsen.com

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From a MRP T-shirt collab aimed at spreading positivity and a mini pixelated retro speaker to Valoyi’s new sandals made using discarded tyres, these are the top VISI picks of the week series – week 347.

1. Wanderland Collective X Anastasia Pather

Artist Anastasia Pather has collaborated with the Wanderland Collective on a new range of cushions. Featuring Anastasia’s finger paintings, the cushions are available in four bold colourways and are made from luxurious velvet.

Images courtesy of Wanderland Collective

2. Valoyi Pablo Sandals

Local luxury accessories brand Valoyi has launched its Pablo sandal for pre-order, inspired by the traditional Spanish avarca. The leather sandals, which are crafted by hand, feature soles made from used tyres that were destined for landfills and a Tiebele print, designed by founder Harmonie Mbunga.

3. MRP Positivi-Tees Collection

Designed to make a difference, the MRP Positive-Tees collection features 11 illustrated T-shirts, created by the likes of Nicole Dalton, Katlego Mamabolo and Nic Manshon, to spread positive messages during these tough times. All proceeds from the sale of the T-shirts (which cost R79.99 each) will be donated to the Solidarity Fund, aiding those affected by COVID-19.

Images courtesy of MRP

4. Mantua Silkwear’s Hope Collection

The HOPE scarf collection by local brand Mantua Silkwear features swallows juxtaposed against a crown pattern, symbolising freedom, movement and the change of times and seasons. The scarves retail for between R1 100 and R1 200 and R500 from the sale of each HOPE scarf will be donated to the Saartjie Baartman Centre for Women and Children.

Images courtesy of Mantua Silkwear

5. Ditoo Pixel Art Portable Speaker

Electronic brand Divoom has released the Ditoo, a versatile and customisable Bluetooth speaker, which also functions as an alarm clock, a daily planner and a pixel art and games platform, packaged in a super-cute arcade-inspired retro design.

Image credit: divoom.com

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From Ardmore’s online auction and hand-tufted textile artworks to a cute bluetooth speaker and classic movies reinterpreted as book covers, these are the top VISI picks of the week series – week 342.

1. Ardmore’s Online Auction

South African ceramic art brand Ardmore is hosting an online auction featuring a selection of 12 handcrafted pieces, until 28 July 2020.

2. Bongolethu Sandile Busuku’s Illustrations

Artist and illustrator Bongolethu Sandile Busuku is a visual creator based in Cape Town. His latest works, from a series called Goats, is inspired by South African television characters from popular TV shows that aired in the ’90s and early 2000s. Also featured below is an illustration from the iThemba series.

Image credit: @valela_arts on Instagram

3. Simone Saunders’ Hand-tufted Textiles

Alberta-based visual artist and actor Simone Saunders creates bright, bold textile pieces using rug hooking, tufting and weaving techniques to tell stories about social empowerment, upliftment and respect.

Image credit: @simoneelizabethtextiles on Instagram

4. Matt Stevens’s Good Movies as Old Books Project

Artist and designer Matt Stevens takes popular movies and reimagines them as old-school book covers. He uses his favourite feature films as inspiration to interpret the underlying themes into designs.

Images via hellomattstevens.com

5. Divoom Macchiato Speakers

The compact Macchiato by Divoom is a portable Bluetooth speaker that features 6W audio power and DSP technology. It comes available in a range of colours (Matcha Green, Nocturne Black, Airy Blue and Royal Pink).

Images via divoom.com

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From a mini Marshall speaker and mesmerising 3D animations to a downloadable colouring-in page and 60-second art clips, these are the top VISI picks of the week series – week 326.

1. Lauren Fowler’s Downloadable Bee

Cape Town-based designer and illustrator Lauren Fowler has created a downloadable PDF colouring-in page to keep you entertained, relaxed and creative during lockdown.

Download the bee, here.

Image credit: Lauren Fowler at lostisaplacetoo.com

2. Norval Foundation’s 60-second Art Clips

While the Norval Foundation has had to temporarily close its doors, it has launched its #60SecondArt project on Instagram. Over the next few weeks, the gallery will be sharing a series of 60-second art stories, voiced by curators, artists and visitors, that showcase what is currently on display in the art centre.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B-FQSFBJQOv/

https://www.instagram.com/p/B-ZgV2Mp6yQ/

https://www.instagram.com/p/B-PET-rJIg6/

https://www.instagram.com/p/B-XInLPJsWg/

https://www.instagram.com/p/B-ZXpQfpl8V/

Image credit: @norvalfoundation on Instagram

3. The Internet Archive Makes 1.4 Million Books Available

Non-profit organisation The Internet Archive has launched the National Emergency Library, allowing anyone across the globe to access over 1.4 million books, reading materials and educational writing for free.

Click here for more information about the initiative.

Image credit: Nick Fewings on Unsplash.com

4. Kyle Szostek’s 3D Motion Experiments

Get lost in these captivating 3D motion experiments, often featuring a variety of calming, pastel tones, by artist and graphic designer Kyle Szostek of Simulation Lab.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B-ZlxyEjNmY/

https://www.instagram.com/p/B-SE-O2Dt3A/

https://www.instagram.com/p/B73k87ABO0r/

https://www.instagram.com/p/B6QIzBQBwo2/

Image credit: @simulation lab on Instagram

5. Mini Marshall Speaker

The latest addition to the Marshall speaker collection is a small cube called Uxbridge. It features both state-of-the-art sound and Amazon’s Alexa.

Image credit: Zound Industries via designboom.com

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This year, Design Indaba celebrated its 25th anniversary, bringing with it a selection of inspiring speakers from across the globe. Below are just some of 2020’s many highlights.

Sho Madjozi

The multitalented Sho Madjozi celebrated her heritage during her opening talk, taking Design Indaba attendees on a historical journey of the xibelani, a traditional Tsonga skirt. “If history teaches us anything, it’s that culture evolves,” she says. “We shouldn’t try and museum-ify our culture, we should interact with it.”

Vukheta Mukhari

Civil engineer Vukheta Mukhari, has together with his team at the University of Cape Town, grown the first biobrick from human urine, something that could change the construction industry and make it more sustainable in future. Read more about this project at news.uct.ac.za.

Patrick Thomas

Graphic artist Patrick Thomas shared his work, including the Protest Stencil Toolkit, a book that contained 42 stencils and a range of protest graphics for activists to use when creating posters.

He also talked about Open Collab 2.0, a web-based tool created to enable real time collaboration between creatives. You can experiment with it here: open-collab.org.

Hanif Kara

Design and structural engineer Hanif Kara has played a role in the realisation of some of the world’s most fascinating buildings, including the Heydar Aliyev Center by Zaha Hadid Architects and The Vessel by Heatherwick Studio. Discover more here: akt-uk.com.

Heydar Aliyev Centre by Zaha Hadid Architects

The Vessel by Heatherwick Studio

Serpentine Pavilion 2016 by BIG

Bas Timmer

Philanthropic fashion designer Bas Timmer is behind the design of the Sheltersuit and the Shelterbag, two durable designs made from upcycled materials that protect the homeless from the cold. The Sheltersuit is made from windproof and waterproof materials and functions as both a jacket and a sleeping bag, while the Shelterbag is made for warmer, rainy weather conditions. A plan for the Shelterbag to be rolled out in South Africa is currently underway. Find out more at sheltersuit.org.

Video via sheltersuit.org

Sunny Dolat

“Beauty confronts us, we never really confront it,” says creative director and cultural producer Sunny Dolat. He shared his performance project Their Finest Robes, The Children Shall Return, created in collaboration with The Nest Collective, which showcased 56 looks from every country on the African continent, including São Tomé and Príncipe and the African diaspora. Follow Sunny on Instagram to view more of his work.

Video via N’GOLÁ on Vimeo

Yosuke Ushigome of Takram

Yosuke Ushigome, director and creative technologist at design studio Takram, took us through a range of projects, including OTO, an integrated health platform that displays body metrics in a visual way. According to Takram, “What is unique about OTO is not the individual components (namely, a body analyser, health tracker, weather forecast, and training plan) but how they connect to each other to create an experience that supplements your lifestyle, rather than dominating it.” We interviewed Takram’s co-founder and partner Kinya Tagawa, here. Find out more about Takram’s work at takram.com.

Olimpia Zagnoli

“Drawing for me is a way to think,” says Olimpia Zagnoli, who shared her colourful illustrations, created for the likes of The New Yorker, Prada and Uniqlo, to name a few. Read our Q&A with her here and see more of her work at olimpiazagnoli.com.

Selassie Atadika

Experiential chef Selassie Atadika aims to unite people through food and believes that “food has power”. She hosts nomadic dining experiences across Ghana. Every meal ends with her hand-crafted artisanal chocolates, made with local ingredients.

Robert Wong

One of the projects shared by Robert Wong, co-founder of Google Creative Lab, showcased a project that made use of more than 107 000 solar mirrors to create a portrait of Apollo 11 computer programmer Margaret Hamilton. See the project come together here:

Video via Google on YouTube

Lonneke Gordijn of Studio Drift

Studio Drift, a multidisciplinary design studio based in The Netherlands, shared a range of the practice’s work, including Flylight, a lighting installation designed to mimic the behaviour of a flock of starlings. See more here and discover further work at studiodrift.com.

Sunu Gonera

Award-wining Zimbabwean filmmaker Sunu Gonera shared a teaser for his first African feature-length film, 15 years in the making. Take a peek:

Lyndon Neri & Rossana Hu of Neri&Hu

Lyndon Neri & Rossana Hu of architectural design practice Neri&Hu showcased a few of their stand-out projects, including the Tsingpu Yangzhou Retreat, the Aranya Art Center in Qinhuangdao and the New Shanghai Theatre. See more of the studio’s work at neriandhu.com.

Aranya Art Center, Qinhuangdao. Image credit: Pedro Pegenaute

New Shanghai Theatre, Shanghai. Image credit: Pedro Pegenaute

Suzhou Chapel, Suzhou. Image credit: Pedro Pegenaute

Jakob Trollbäck

Designer Jakob Trollbäck shared the communication language he was tasked to design for the United Nations’ 17 Global Goals and subsequent 169 targets to create a better world by 2030. Below the result, what Jakob likes to call The Periodic Table of Change. See more projects at trollback.com.

Mazbahul Islam

Social entrepreneur Mazbahul Islam co-founded Safewheel, a tricycle ambulance project that provides rural communities in Bangladesh with medical support. Find out more at safewheel.xyz.

Ibrahim Mahama

Artist and author Ibrahim Mahama took us through his monumental installations, which often make use of jute sacks collected from market spaces throughout Ghana. For Ibrahim, the history of architecture and materials are a big focus, as well as its relation to labour conditions in modern society. Check out our Q&A with him here.

Check Point Sekondi Loco. 1901-2030.

Paul Cocksedge

Designer Paul Cocksedge not only showcased previous work created by his studio, including a sculptural wooden bench installation in London that made use of upcycled scaffolding planks, but also unveiled a new project he’s working on in Cape Town, namely a bridge in the Upper Liesbeek River Garden. See more projects at paulcocksedgestudio.com.

Please Be Seated

Upper Liesbeek River Garden bridge

Jeanne Gang

Award-winning architect Jeanne Gang of architectural practice Studio Gang, focuses on sustainability and making cities more habitable and community-focused. See 5 stand-out projects here.

Image credit: Steve Hall / Hall Merrick

For more information about Design Indaba, visit designindaba.com.

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After three inspiring days, the annual Design Indaba Festival has come to a close.

This year’s conference, which once again brought together speakers from across the globe, was packed with amazing examples of design ingenuity, great ideas and stellar performances. Here are just a few of the many things that stood out.

NM Type

María Ramos and Noel Pretorius of type foundry NM Type always wanted to create a typeface inspired by dance. This led them to dancer Andile Vellem, whose movements they tracked and reinterpreted to create a unique font. Aptly called Movement, the font is available to download for free at nmtype.com/movement.

Nicole Nomsa Moyo

This award-winning Design Indaba Global Graduate took us through her thesis, UKUBUTHA, a project that focuses on uplifting communities through the creation of waste-to-energy systems. You can read more about her internationally recognised thesis here.

Keenan Wyrobek

The founder of Zipline, the world’s first drone delivery service, together with the Zipline team based in Rwanda, took us through how the largest drone delivery network in the world delivers life-saving blood to remote areas. The drones have flown over one million kilometres and have delivered over 17 000 units of blood so far. Find out more at flyzipline.com.

Image credit: flyzipline.com

Dave Hakkens

Designer Dave Hakkens, whose project Precious Plastic we featured here, has made the blueprints for his plastic recycling machines available for free online, giving anyone interested in recycling plastic the instructions to build their own and create new upcycled objects. Here’s how it works:

Video credit: davehakkens on YouTube

Dong-Ping Wong

Architect and founder of design firm FOOD shared the + POOL project, a floating pool designed to filter the river water that surrounds it. See more about this project at pluspool.org.

Image credit: Family New York, Courtesy of Friends of + POOL

During his talk, he attempted to design a city in 15 minutes, drawing a blueprint live in collaboration with renowned fashion designer and Louis Vuitton artistic director Virgil Abloh, who Dong-Ping video called during the talk.

Dong-Ping Wong of @food_new_york and @virgilabloh are attempting to design a city in 15 minutes. For Virgil, as designers we should be able to examine what we want in modern cities. #designindaba pic.twitter.com/QdudsDBqCC

— VISI Magazine (@VISI_Mag) February 27, 2019

IKEA ÖVERALLT Collection

Launched at Design Indaba, IKEA’s ÖVERALLT collection, which we featured here, sees the Swedish brand collaborate with designers, architects and artists from five African countries, including Issa Diabaté, Selly Raby Kane, Laduma Ngxokolo, Renee Rossouw and Sindiso Khumalo. While there are no plans at this stage to stock the collection in South Africa, it will launch in existing IKEA stores globally in May 2019.

ÖVERALLT bench in stained solid Eucalyptus. Designer: Naeem Biviji and Bethan Rayneri and Mikael Axelsson.

ÖVERALLT easy chair in Birch plywood. Designer: Issa Diabaté and Kevin Gouriou. Cushion cover: Laduma Ngxokolo.

Rodrigo García González

Making packaging disappear is a goal for this inventor, designer, architect and engineer of Skipping Rocks Lab. One of the firm’s projects is Ooho!. It stores liquids in edible, sustainable and biodegradable packaging made from seaweed extract. Find out more here.

Pascale Theron

This Design Indaba Global Graduate is interested in the use of feathered fabrics. Using ostrich feathers as thread, the textiles she creates are breathable, washable and lightweight, making them an ideal interior fabric, perfect for throws, wall hangings and curtains. Her aim is to create a new industry that not only gives back to the community of Oudtshoorn, but also allows ostriches to live their full lifespans.

Ane Crabtree

For costume designer Ane Crabtree, who is behind the design of the iconic attire in the hit series The Handmaid’s Tale, it’s important not to let others put you into little boxes, unless it’s the ones you create yourself. Read our Q&A with her here.

Image credit: Nathan Cyprys

John Pawson

Architect and designer John Pawson CBE, known for his calm, simple spaces, took us through his immense body of work that spans three decades, including the Design Museum in London and a monastery in the Czech Republic.

Image credit: Gareth Gardner

Mariam Kamara

Mariam Kamara is an architect and founder of Niger-based architecture and research firm atelier masōmī. She shared a range of her practice’s projects, including a renovated mosque and a market, both located in Dandaji. Find a snippet of our Q&A with her here. You can read the full interview in VISI’s 100th issue.

Image credit: Maurice Ascani

Wanuri Kahiu

The Nairobi-born film director, World Economic Forum cultural leader and founder of media company AfroBubbleGum shared her work, including the internationally acclaimed film Rafiki, which has sadly been banned in Kenya. Watch the trailer below:

Video credit: IndieWire on YouTube

Mirjam de Bruijn

This Design Indaba Global Graduate is behind the design of Twenty, a sustainability-focused project that focuses on reducing the amount of water used in household products, thereby reducing the amount of packaging used, as well as CO2 emissions as a result of transport. The idea is to provide these products in capsule or powder form, only adding the water later.

Image credit: Femke Rijerman Video credit: Mirjam de Bruijn on YouTube

Tshepo Mokholo

Architect and designer Tsepho Mokholo, a Design Indaba Global Graduate and former Design Indaba Emerging Creative, who now works for architecture firm MASS Design Group, shared the Ruhehe Primary School project in Rwanda. The school was designed with improving learner outcomes top of mind.

Image credit: massdesigngroup.org

Yuri Suzuki

This designer, artist and musician, who believes sound is a strong communication tool, designed Sonic Playground, an interactive installation at the HIGH Museum of Art in Atlanta, Georgia, that transmits sound in fun, engaging ways.

Image credit: yurisuzuki.com

Adebayo Oke-Lawal

Nigerian fashion designer Adebayo Oke-Lawal, who is behind the brand Orange Culture, firmly believes that fashion can be used as a tool for social change (read more about the brand here). He gave us a sneak peek of his A/W collection:

Image credit: orangecultureeng on Instagram

Tin&Ed

Creative directors Tin&Ed are known for their digital projects, but this restaurant space they designed, inspired by spirals, caught our attention.

David Droga

Founder and creative chairman of creative and strategic agency Droga5 believes great ideas can break down walls. He shared some of the work Droga5 has created, including a clever ad campaign for Tourism Australia. Playing off as a trailer for a sequel to 1986 film Crocodile Dundee, the ad was actually created to drive an interest in tourism. Here is a shortened version of the mock trailer:

Video credit: Australia on YouTube

For more information about Design Indaba, visit designindaba.com.

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Shop for vinyl record players and retro-inspired Bluetooth speakers to join the new-age old-school music revolution.

Record sales are booming. And while streaming may be convenient, some sounds are just meant to be heard on vinyl. On the other hand, with Spotify, Google Play Music and iTunes so readily available, having the best speakers is also important.

Here are 10 options to choose from.

1. Newport Bluetooth Speaker in Sonic Blue R2 799, Superbalist

2. Thorens TD-209 Turntable R18 690, Homemation

3. Pro-ject Debut Carbon Turntable R9 990, Takealot

4. Stanmore Bluetooth R4 799, Superbalist

5. Denon DJ VL12 Prime Turntable R13 790, Viva Afrika

6. Amazon Deco Bluetooth Speaker R650, Takealot

7. Thorens TD-206 Turntable R18 690, Homemation

8. Volkano Fabric Series Bluetooth Speaker R275, Takealot

9. Reloop RP-7000 MK2 Professional DJ Turntable R9 500, Tradelius

10. Harmony Bluetooth Speaker II R1 679, Superbalist

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From a Dolce & Gabbana and Smeg collaboration and a watch that you assemble yourself to rearrangeable speakers that match your decor, these are the top VISI picks of the week series – week 176.

Dolce&Gabbana X Smeg Small Appliances 

“Dolce&Gabbana has once again teamed up with Smeg, this time covering the brand’s small appliances in colourful Sicilian-inspired designs,” says Online Editor Lindi Brownell Meiring. “After featuring their fridge collaboration last year, we’re super happy that the small appliances are getting the same attention.”

Image credit: designboom.com

World’s First DIY Watch

“Time flies when you’re having fun… assembling your own watch!” says Acting Managing Editor Samantha Charles. “Swedish watch brand TRIWA has just launched a series of self-assembly watches. Inside the DIY package you will find everything you need to assemble your watch. How cool is that?”

Image credit: dezeen.com

Caribe for Ames Furniture By Sebastian Herkner 

“Designed by Sebastian Herkner and made in Santa Marta on the Caribbean coast, these fun chairs form part of the Caribe furniture range,” says Assistant Editor Tracy Greenwood. “I think they’d add an awesome pop of colour to a monochromatic dining area.”

Image credit: ames-shop.de

Repurposed Stools By Maor Aharon

“I love it when people make something beautiful and functional from waste,” says Features Writer Amelia Brown. “These quirky stools were made by Israel-based designer Maor Aharon for a recycling park’s educational centre.”

Image credit: designboom.com

Hexagonal Sound System by Bang & Olufsen

“For me, there is little better than a quality sound system that is also pretty,” says Freelance Content Producer Cheri Morris. “Each honeycomb-shaped acoustic panel is a wireless little speaker. They can be arranged whichever way you like and are available in an array of colours.”

Image credit: dezeen.com

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Come Friday 30 October 2015, foodies will gather at the Spier Wine Farm in Stellenbosch for the fourth annual Spier Secret Festival Conference, billed as “a celebration of creative approaches to food and wine making, craftsmanship and collaboration.”

This year promises to be a far more intimate affair. Unlike previous years where all the delegates sat together in a large room, this year they will be separated into smaller groups, rotating between workshops and talks, which means there will be more opportunity for skills sharing and spending one-on-one time with the speakers.

Attendees can look forward to hearing from a variety of speakers. Locals include Luke Williams, who is a cheese-maker and owner of Cape Town’s Culture Club Cheese, Spier’s very own Cellar Master Frans Smit, and Zayaan Khan, SA’s leading expert in entomophagy – the practice of eating insects.

International speakers include Oxford professor Charles Spence, whose research looks at the role of attention in multi-sensory perception, including the sensory perception of food, as well as Andrew Merritt and Paul Smyth, who are behind London-based social design practice, Something & Son. More speakers will be announced closer to the conference.

Delegates will also be among the first to experience Spier’s new and improved Werf, which includes a boutique wine cellar and renowned chef PJ Vadas’s newly launched Hog House Café. Vadas will also be preparing a late lunch for delegates, which is included in the conference ticket price. The Werf will also be home to the weekly Spier Werf Market, which will showcase fresh organic produce and a variety of food stalls. The market is free to enter and is open to the public. It launches the day after the conference on Saturday 31 October.

As has become tradition leading up to the conference, Spier hosts a series of secret dinners throughout September. Visit spiersecret.co.za to find out about upcoming dinners. Tickets for the conference are R1 100, inclusive of lunch and wine.

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