dti support for Design Indaba

Nadia Sujee, the dti's director of creative industries, says: "The dti sees the Design Indaba Expo as a means of satisfying its objectives of increasing market access opportunities for, and export of, South African goods and services.

Raises profile of SA

"The expo also contributes towards building skills, technology and infrastructure platforms from which enterprises can benefit, and significantly progressing broad-based BEE. It has also raised the profile of design in South Africa by educating local audiences about the value of homegrown design."

The dti brought out five international buyers in 2005 and ten in 2006. There were, however, around 30 international buyers in total last year as many travelled independently to the Expo.

The companies will be allocated over 200m² of custom-designed floor space at the expo, which runs 23 - 25 February 2007 at the Cape Town International Convention Centre. The exhibitors include two architectural firms, one interior designer, two advertising practitioners, three fashion designers, and several product designers and crafters.

Valuable new contacts

Design Indaba Expo curator Lauren Shantall adds: "The companies will enjoy the benefits of valuable new contacts that they would otherwise be unable to access. The increasing international interest in South African design has encouraged more people to look at exporting and we believe many of the local designs show great promise as export items."

In 2005 the dti-supported foreign buyers ordered in excess of R1 million from Expo exhibitors, and in 2006 over R1.5 million. Aside from the trade orders, there are several groundbreaking achievements from the expo, says Shantall. Examples include:

• Design Indaba's relationship with one of its sponsors, Woolworths, led to the Stoned Cherrie fashion label being stocked by the retail giant;
  
• The European chain of Conran stores developed the Conran Africa range for SA and London;
  
• Source, the agent for the Conran stores, uses the expo as its shopping destination, as does Jennifer Fair of Africa Fair, who sources for Amaridian gallery, which showcases SA designs in New York;
  
• Local designer Heath Nash has signed a royalty agreement with Artecnica, a leading international design manufacturer and distributor;
  
• Furniture designer Haldane Martin secured a distribution agreement in Spain.

The expo has grown from 55 exhibitors in 2004 to 163 in 2006, and should total nearly 200 in 2007, says Shantall. Visitor attendance ballooned from 9000 in 2004 to 15 500 in 2006, and should attract more than 20 000 visitors in 2007.

The upcoming expo will include live, day-long fashion performances, SA music videos and short films. There will be talks on design and the announcement of design awards, as well as live demonstrations of DIY designer projects and interactive design and art projects that visitors can take part in.