South Africa’s leading design platform will be officially named Design Week South Africa, presented by Pinterest, for the 2026 edition
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Design Week South Africa 2026, presented by Pinterest, brings together two brands united by a shared belief in the power of creativity, community and inspiration. As a leader in visual search and discovery, Pinterest is a natural partner for Design Week South Africa, supporting a platform that celebrates the depth, diversity and strength of the South African design sectors.
The partnership between Design Week South Africa and Pinterest supports the entity’s mandate to support and foster local creative talent, ideas and perspectives by sharing and connecting these to a wider global design conversation, reinforcing Design Week South Africa’s ambition to make design more accessible, connected and relevant.
Taking place across two cities and two weeks in October, Design Week South Africa, presented by Pinterest, will bring together the best of the country’s design talent, creating a concentrated, high-visibility moment for the creative sector that invigorates both cities, draws thousands of attendees and connects South Africa’s design community with local and international audiences, press and industry professionals.
Dedicated Pinterest Activations
Beyond its role as Title Sponsor of Design Week South Africa 2026, Pinterest will work with local designers, crafters and makers in Johannesburg and Cape Town to present a series of engaging activations 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.
Design Week South Africa 2026 Theme
Design Week South Africa, presented by Pinterest, takes the theme The Shape of Us, which centres on how cultural identity, historical roots and future-thinking inform South African design. Participants have been encouraged to interpret these thematic ideas in their own presentations.
Details
Design Week South Africa’s city-wide programme involves designers, brands and locations across Johannesburg and Cape Town. Design Week Johannesburg will run from Thursday, 8 October to Sunday, 11 October. Design Week Cape Town will run from Thursday, 22 to Sunday, 25 October. The full programme of events and activations will be available online in the lead up to Design Week and distributed across each city through the official Design Week broadsheet.
