Design Week South Africa, presented by Pinterest, returns to Cape Town from 22-25 October 2026, bringing together designers, architects, artists, makers, brands and creative practitioners for four days of exhibitions, conversations, workshops, product launches and studio experiences across the city.
Under the theme The Shape of Us, the programme considers how design reflects the people we are, the places we inhabit and the ways we live together. Spanning disciplines from architecture and furniture to fashion, textiles, craft and urban design, the programme creates opportunities to discover new work, engage with creative practices and connect with the people shaping South Africa’s design landscape.
This year’s programme includes UNBUILT, presented by Design Week South Africa and sponsored by dhk Architects, showcasing projects, prototypes and ideas that explore public space, urban infrastructure, mobility and the future of South African precincts. Hosted at Short MARKET with the Mission For Inner City Cape Town, the exhibition launches on the 23 of October and forms part of a wider programme of conversations and interventions examining how African cities can better serve the people who use them.
Architecture and spatial design feature throughout the programme. SAOTA presents Shaped by Place: 40 Years of Architectural Practice, reflecting on four decades of practice; MŪVEK and CVN explore the relationship between architecture, furniture and object design through a presentation of furniture informed by architectural thinking; dhk Architects leads a tour of Conradie Park, exploring housing, public space and urban design in Pinelands; and The MAAK and The Otto Foundation introduce Dream Library at Dryden Street Primary School, designed IN partnership with the school’s learners.
South African design stalwarts also put their mark on Design Week: Heritage furniture house Weylandts launches The With, an expression of good living and connection, brought to life as a bar for Design Week 2026. Haldane and NØDE launch their recent collaboration: the il Noir Edition, a sculptural reimagining of the Galapagos outdoor kitchen island; and Pedersen + Lennard presents The Industry Dialogue, bringing together local design brands and creative leaders to discuss the country’s design landscape.
This year also sees a growing international presence during Design Week, with Dubai-based Objects by Eight (OBE) collaborating with TSL on a collectible design exhibition of independent artist-designers and makers from Africa and the Middle East. Italian heritage brand Molteni&C opens its Cape Town showroom for a showcase of South African artists and makers who reimagine the space through circuit-bent digital works, handwoven textiles, sculpture and live music. London- and Accra-based Sun Stories brings David Obeng Adane’s In My Family House series and a selection of the studio’s pieces to Curación Gallerie.
Design Week South Africa’s Cape Town Morning Sessions brings together makers, thinkers and practitioners to discuss design, fashion, sustainability and urbanism. Speakers include Pinterest’s Eoin Carrigan, designer Atang Tshikare, Tanya Slater of Artclub and Friends and many more.
New collections, collaborations and independent creative practices are represented throughout the city. Highlights include PICHULIK and Piano Terra unveiling SASSO, a collaboration that brings jewellery and design into dialogue, and Superella’s collaboration with Third Floor Studios. Talks, workshops, open studios guided tours – especially those from aēsplore, extend the programme beyond exhibitions, creating opportunities for audiences to engage directly with the people and ideas behind the work.
Pinterest Predicts 2026 Presents
Beyond its role as Title Sponsor of Design Week South Africa 2026, Pinterest is working with local designers, crafters and makers in Johannesburg and Cape Town to present a series of engaging activities that celebrate the breadth and creativity of South Africa’s design industry.
Drawing inspiration from Pinterest’s annual trend report, Pinterest Predicts, the activations will bring selected 2026 trends to life through local creative interpretations. In doing so, Pinterest provides an opportunity for local talent to reinterpret global design trends through a distinctly South African lens, connecting discovery and inspiration with hands-on creative experiences.
Koooooos x Nammu: Live Mural Painting and Collection Launch
Two inner-city creative practitioners launch a project based on the ancient Greek craft tradition of collaboration between potter and painter. Nammu Ceramics and Cape Town artist Koooooos launch a range of vessels in this tradition, and extend the project to a new mural, designed and painted by Koooooos on an outer wall of Nammu’s new studio in the East City.
Commissioned by Design Week and inspired by Pinterest Predicts 2026, Koooooos’s mural combines khaki tones, representing Nammu’s earth-tone hues and natural clay approach and hues of cool blue — one of Koooooos’s signature colours that represents his bold, playful and oftentimes piercing artistic personality and aesthetic.
A Decade of Inspiration: 10 Years of Good Good Good
Cape Town-based fashion brand Good Good Good marks 10 years of producing locally made South African design by inviting nine collaborators and leaders in design to curate and share their Pinterest boards, featuring references that have inspired their craft. Participants include Jana Hamman, Kgabo Mametja (Saint Rose), Shaun Hill, Karabo Poppy, Russell Abrahams (Yay Abe), Wanda Lephoto.
The 3-day rotating exhibition also features works from past Good Good Good collaborators and inspirations over the last decade, spanning product design, sculpture, furniture and art — curated to reflect key Pinterest Predicts 2026 trends — as well as a selection of archival items from Good Good Good’s history.
