Design Indaba Expo - more of the best in 2011

The very best of South African creativity, across all design disciplines, can again be experienced at the Cape Town International Convention Centre from 25 to 27 February 2011. The eighth annual Design Indaba Expo will showcase the very best, high-end and homegrown design.

With more than 270 confirmed exhibitors of which 20% are new exhibitors, the 2011 Design Indaba ushers in a grand new decade of local design excellence. As the only 100% South African platform for design talent, the Design Indaba Expo recognises and celebrates local creative work across all fields, from craft to product design, fashion, publishing, new media, ceramics, animation, architecture and more. Setting a high professional standard, each exhibitor is pre-approved by a curatorial panel of industry experts.

"We are extremely excited about Design Indaba Expo 2011. Improving on past editions, we have a completely revamped floor layout, including new innovations such as a Salon Privé, a food zone presented by Earth Fair food market and various capsule exhibitions. As the country's economic mood improves, we look forward to seeing new products and innovations from our exhibitors, who we're confident will do a roaring trade," says Mike Purdham, manager of the Design Indaba Expo.

A large delegation of international and local buyers will again be making the Design Indaba Expo their creative "shopping mall" of choice in 2011. Besides those travelling independently, the Department of Trade and Industry are bringing a convoy of 10 buyers, while Design Indaba itself is also hosting a delegation of buyers from the Museum of Art and Design in New York and a trade mission from the South African Netherlands Chamber of Commerce.

Highlights to look out for on the Design Indaba Expo floor include an arena with all-day fashion shows, a film festival and the Creative Agencies exhibit where advertising, animation and production studios will showcase their best work. For the first time ever a separate Salon Privé arena at the Design Indaba Expo will display the crème of South African design in an exclusively luxurious presentation. There's also the dedicated creative programme for kids, the ever-popular Emerging Creatives, the Most Beautiful Object in South Africa award where visitors vote for their favourite design and the Most Creative Stand Award.

In 2010 Design Indaba Expo hosted some 35 000 visitors, 420 buyers and more than 280 exhibitors, resulting in GDP contributions of around R232-million of which the bulk came from business orders to the value of R123-million, as calculated in an external economic impact assessment conducted by the University of Cape Town's Graduate School of Business.

Design Indaba Expo 2011

The Design Indaba Expo 2011 is open to the public from Friday 25 February to Sunday 27 February 2011 at the Cape Town International Convention Centre. Tickets are available at the door or at Computicket, from 1 February 2011.

Opening and closing hours

Friday 25 February 2011 from 10:00 - 20:00?
Saturday 26 February 2011 from 10:00 - 20:00?
Sunday 27 February 2011 from 10:00 - 18:00

Admission costs

Adults - R60
Students - R40
Pensioners - R40
Scholars - R30
Children - R30
Children under 10 - R20