Design Week South Africa, a platform that showcases established and emerging local talent, stimulates conversations and invites artistic collaborations, launches its second Cape Town edition this week (23 to 26 October). This initiative has two standout features: its decentralised approach is inclusive, and its response to a clear need for in-person experiences makes it exciting and relevant.
The team behind Design Week South Africa, Margot Molyneux, Zanele Khumalo, Roland Postma and Simone Schutz, executed a vibrant Johannesburg edition earlier this month. This saw well-attended activations across the City of Gold, from Sandton to Soweto.
Design Week South Africa team, from left to right: Roland Postma, Margot Molyneux, Zanele Khumalo, and Simone Schutz
Design Week South Africa | Johannesburg inspired confidence not only in South Africa’s talent and capacity to innovate, but also in a city that has been under reputational attack for a few years. The first summer rains coincided with Design Week’s programme, breaking its dry winter and along with the design community, Johannesburg’s Jacaranda trees were in full bloom.
We’re expecting nothing less inspiring and exciting for the upcoming Cape Town edition. If you’re struggling to make your selection from the expansive programme supported by V&A Watershed, we’ve done some homework for you. Here are our top picks of things to do this week in Cape Town:
1. Fixie Fit SA: Design Week cycle ride | Experience
Kabambi Mbiola, creative and marketing director at Fuata Moyo, featured above
Start Design Week in motion with an evening cycle ride through Cape Town’s CBD. Beginning at Fuata Moyo Studios, the route will pass through creative and cultural spots around the city.
- When: Thursday 23 October 17:30 – 18:30
- Where: 109 Plein St, Cape Town City Centre, Cape Town
- Book to attend here
2. Ari’s listening room at Tonic | Experience
Photographer and audiophile, Andile Buka hosts Ari’s Listening Room at TONIC’s Cape Town showroom. The three sets are:
Rooiboslove is a DJ, writer, and curator from Cape Town. His sets often feature his favourite composers and producers: Abdullah Ibrahim, Thandi Ntuli, Philip Tabane, Nick Drake, and Kaidi Tatham, among others.
Athenkosi “Athi Maq” Maqubela is a Cape Town-based Landscape Architecture researcher and DJ. Athi Maq will guide a listening session bridging cool-jazz clarity and cosmic exploration.
Lindokuhle Nkosi, a South African writer and interdisciplinary practitioner. This session listens for the places where lyric meets rhythm, where the beat completes the sentence, where voice becomes drum
When and bookings:
- Thursday, 23 October | 18:00 – 22:00 | Rooiboslove | Book here
- Friday, 24 October | 18:00 – 22:00 | Athi Maq | Book here
- Saturday, 25 October | 10:00 – 14:00 | Lindokuhle Nkosi | Book here
Where: Tonic Showroom, 87 Kloof Street, Cape Town
3. The Things We Love | Exhibition
Curated by Simone Schultz and Bielle Bellingham, The Things We Love invites creative practitioners in Cape Town to open their homes (and in some cases, their studios) and share meaningful items from their personal collections. Participants include Masego Morgan, Daniel Sher, Tandekile Mkize, Onesimo Bam, Viveka and Rucita Vassen of Studio Ananta, Koos Groenewald, Katherine Pichulik, Hannerie Visser, Anna Weylandt and Amy Ellenbogen.
- When: Thursday, 24 October 10:00 – 16:00 to Sunday, 26 October 10:00 – 14:00
- Bookings: Open to all
- Where: 107 Castle Street, Cape Town
4. Bo-Kaap market | Experience
The newly completed Bo-Kaap Market will open to the public. Located at the top of Wale Street, the market celebrates one of Cape Town’s most culturally significant neighbourhoods and introduces a new chapter in how public space and informal trade can coexist with heritage and tourism. Implemented for the City of Cape Town through its Economic Growth Directorate, the market was designed by Yes & Studio with TKLA, Bergstan Engineering and Turner & Townsend.
- When: Thursday 23 October to Sunday 26 October (8:00 – 17:00)
- Where: 16 Pentz St, Schotsche Kloof, Cape Town
- Book here
5. The Business of Design: Building Rad Brands | Discussion
Lolo Ndlovu (The Sneaker Shack) for V&A Watershed talks
Join Youth Capital and V&A Watershed for a discussion on what it takes to build a creative brand in South Africa. Featuring Emma Strydom, Claudia & Yoraya (Not Sad Food Club), Johannes Le Roux (Dope Drink), Nicole Norman (Hype Social), Lolo Ndlovu (The Sneaker Shack), Alex Grotes (innovation consultant, former IDEO), with Mbali Motsoeneng (Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator) – the session dives into the realities of turning ideas into sustainable ventures.
- Where: Workshop17, V&A Waterfront
- When: 5pm, 24 October 2025
6. Zeitz MOCAA | Experience
Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art opened on September 22, 2017, as the largest museum of contemporary art from Africa and its diaspora. It’s a modern architectural achievement like nothing else on the continent and the first museum of its scale dedicated to contemporary African art. (Edit: You will need to buy an access ticket.)
- Daily: 12:00pm –1:30 pm, 23-26 October
- Where: Zeitz Mocca, Silo District, V&A Waterfront
- Book here
7. Designing with community in Mind | Discussion
Hosted by Fuata Moya and the V&A Watershed, this cross-disciplinary conversation features five creative voices from music, ceramics, visual arts, fashion and social entrepreneurship. Moderated by Ashanti Kunene, panellists include Petit Noir, Zizipho Poswa, Ras Silas Motse, Robyn Agulhas, and Sindile Mavundla. They will discuss creative collaboration and collective authorship, community influence on creative identity and much more.
- Where: Workshop17 at Watershed
- When: 18:00pm- 21:00pm, 24 October
8. Food for landscapes: Recipes for slow disasters | Exhibition
Join artist Andrew Merritt, collaborator Loubie Rusch, and participants from the Lynedoch Valley for a conversation exploring recipes for biocultural repair. Visitors will be invited to sample flavours and discuss the project’s evolving map and foods of regeneration.
- When: Thursday 23 October at 10:00 – Sunday 26 October at 16:00
- Where: Church House, 1 Queen Victoria St, Cape Town City Centre, Cape Town
- Book here
9. Soweto-Caracas community centre site visit | Tour
As part of Design Week South Africa, Young Urbanists and Urban Think Tank Empower invite you to a rare public site visit of the Soweto-Caracas Community Centre in Khayelitsha — a landmark project redefining how architecture can drive community-led change. The Centre integrates a rooftop farm, multi-purpose sports court, crèche, coworking hub, and off-grid systems powered by solar energy.
- Contribution: R50
- When: 10:45 – 13:00, Friday 25 October
- Where: Meet at Urban Think Tank Empower, 76 Church St, Cape Town City Centre for transport
- Book here
10. Design week morning sessions
A programme of relaxed and engaging conversations at the start of each day, covering design, media and architecture. Speakers include Renée Rossouw, Max Melvill, Star Senamile Shongwe, Yoko Choy of Wallpaper and Malika Walele.
- When: 9:00-10:30, 23, 24, 25 and 26 October
- Where: Max Bagels at One Park, 1 Park Road, Gardens
- See the final programme and book here
