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Ten x Ten is a new landmark feature of 100% Design Africa, presenting objects that prioritise craft, materials and meaning over trends. -
FloodLight reflects the strength and variety of South African lighting design and will feature a host of lighting designers, including Mash.T Design Studio. -
Future Talks is a four-day programme of live conversations covering topics across architecture, materiality, business, cultural exchange and emerging practic. -
The Recharge Garage, presented by Lexus, is a design-led feature that reimagines the garage as more than a place to park. -
The Capitec Design MRKT has become one of the show’s most dynamic spaces – a fully fledged artisanal market celebrating Pan-African design.
Decorex Cape Town returns to the Cape Town International Convention Centre from 25–28 June 2026, giving design enthusiasts four days to explore fresh ideas, new designers and local products.
COMPILED BY Gina Dionisio PHOTOS Supplied
A much-anticipated highlight on the decor and design calendar, Decorex Cape Town offers those in the Mother City a chance to engage with local and international design and its makers.
Throughout the four-day exhibition, visitors will encounter designer-led installations, thought-provoking showcases and carefully considered spaces that invite a slower, more intentional way of engaging with design.
The showcase’s theme for 2026 is ‘The Soft Life’ – a deliberate recalibration of design’s current focus that reflects a global cultural shift towards balance and a more conscious way of living.
Here are our must-see highlights to help you plan your visit.
Ten x Ten
Ten x Ten is a new landmark feature of 100% Design Africa, presenting objects that prioritise craft, materials and meaning over trends.
The immersive installation brings together 100 of the most compelling design objects of 2026 across 10 categories that map design from floor to ceiling.
Contributors include Thabisa Mjo, Kartell, Willowlamp, Wiid Design, Romo Fabrics, Glo Lighting, Robin Sprong Wallpapers and a range of independent studios and makers.
Objects have been selected by Decorex co-creative directors Alan Hayward and Garreth van Niekerk, along with a panel of category experts, including Cape Town gallery Art Formes and Sinegugu Ngxongo – granddaughter of master weaver Beauty Ngxongo and founder of Bambizulu.
100% Fresh
Spotlighting students, recent graduates and young studios, 100% Fresh showcases emerging design talent. Here, visitors encounter new ideas, prototypes and work that presents a unique point of view.
Capitec Design MRKT
The MRKT has become one of the show’s most dynamic spaces – a fully fledged artisanal market celebrating Pan-African design – giving visitors the opportunity to take home their favourite pieces of design from the continent.
Future Talks
The four-day programme of live conversations covering topics across architecture, materiality, business, cultural exchange and emerging practice returns to Decorex Cape Town.
Hosted by Bathandwa Ngwendu and presented in partnership with Oggie, this year’s programme features more than 40 speakers and is designed for trade professionals, creatives, media and design enthusiasts alike.
The Soft Life Kitchen by Numa
Numa’s feature installation explores how the kitchen is becoming one of the most intelligent and emotionally attuned spaces in the home.
The installation features high-performance Blum and Salice systems, arabesque veining, deep chocolate wood tones, architectural curves and integrated lighting, creating a kitchen where daily rituals feel easier, more beautiful and more intuitive. It’s a true celebration of this year’s theme, ‘The Soft Life’.
Soft Life Pods
Like The Soft Life Kitchen, the Soft Life Pods bring this year’s theme into physical form through a series of intimate, designer-led spaces that explore comfort, tactility, atmosphere and the future of wellness-driven living.
Each pod offers a different interpretation of softness. This year’s participating designers and brands include Karoo Baba, ARCPOP Architecture, Art & Design, Styleast and Constantia Fabrics, each creating a spatial experience shaped by material, mood, light, texture and ritual.
FloodLight
A new feature at this year’s Decorex Cape Town, FloodLight celebrates some of the best local lighting design, brought together within a showcase shaped by the 2026 theme. At its heart is the idea of light as soft power: not simply as function, but as atmosphere, emotion and a tool for wellbeing.
Developed as a collaboration between Decorex and spatial lighting designer Martin Döller, the feature adds an experiential layer to the installation, using light to create mood, depth and theatre across the space.
FloodLight reflects the strength and variety of South African lighting design right now, featuring work by Martin Döller, Mash.T Design Studio, TheUrbanative, Joe Paine and more.
The Recharge Garage
The Recharge Garage, presented by Lexus, is a design-led feature that reimagines the garage as more than a place to park.
Anchored by the Lexus RZ 500e and designed by Tshepo Sealetsa, the space explores the garage as a threshold between movement and home: a place to arrive, pause, restore and reset.
Dates & Times
25 – 28 June 2026 | Cape Town International Convention Centre | Open daily 10am–6pm | decorex.co.za
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