6 Reasons not to miss the inaugural Pan Afrikan Design Week 2026

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The main three-day conference will take place at Workshop17 at the V&A Waterfront, followed by a networking evening and a community and cultural experience the following day. Keynote, dialogues, performances and practical workshops will all connect around one central question: How do we design to thrive?

“We’ve built a programme packed with ideas, voices and lived experiences, with something to spark, challenge and inspire at every turn,” says Suné Stassen, CEO of Open Design Afrika and programme director.

“From rethinking the role of design across systems, communities and cities to exploring future-fit education, creative collaboration and practical ways to turn ideas into action, while also enjoying the whole experience - we’ve created an event that will leave a lasting legacy.”

Helping to hold that golden thread across the three days is Mandisa Mbaligontsi, founder of Lume Impact Labs, who will serve as MC and facilitator. Her role extends beyond introducing speakers.

She will guide transitions, connect ideas across the programme and help audiences see how each contribution relates to the wider question of designing to thrive. She will also co-facilitate the three afternoon workshops with Stassen and Nthakoana Maema.

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Here are six reasons not to miss the inaugural Pan Afrikan Design Week 2026 in Cape Town:

1. The conversations shaping what comes next – and the unexpected voices driving them

Among the 21-strong speaker lineup are Saki Mafundikwa, the Zimbabwean design scholar, TED speaker and author of Afrikan Alphabets, and Dr Russell Kennedy, co-author of the International Indigenous Design Charter, who share a stage with Juliet Kavishe on Day 1 to talk Indigenous wisdom, cultural memory, dignity and design value.

The programme opens with a welcome address Mrs Gugu Motlanthe, former First Lady of South Africa and executive trustee of the Kgalema Motlanthe Foundation - a voice for empowerment, ethical leadership and inclusive innovation.

Afrikan futurist Dr Njeri Mwagiru then delivers the opening keynote asking the audience to imagine the myriad futures that are possible through the choices we make each day. Following on is Dominic Wilhelm, executive director of The Global Trust Project, who talks trust as the sine-qua-non for thriving, be it an idea, people, community or a city.

The programme extends into many other areas: Nthakoana Maema, founder of impact venture studio Future Proof Collective, will speak about food systems, aliveness and inclusive entrepreneurship, while Jess Berliner, founder of Learn Biomimicry, offers a closing keynote exploring what nature can teach us about designing a thriving world. And that’s just a teaser of what’s on the agenda.

Not everyone is a designer in the traditional sense, which is intentional. Community leaders, publishers, thought leaders, policymakers, entrepreneurs, educators, cultural practitioners and people working across different sectors who are serious about thriving futures, will all bring their experiences to life and fully engage at PADW.

2. Four million free books: how Book Dash is pursuing a dream once thought impossible

Book Dash, a South African non-profit, brings together volunteer writers, illustrators and designers to collaborate and cocreate children's books from scratch in a single day. The books are then printed and distributed free of charge, with over four million copies given to children to date.

In a case-study dialogue on Day 2, executive director Thembalethu Shangase and co-founder Arthur Attwell, will be joined by three of the collaborators who help make the model a success. Together they will unpack what this form of radical creative collaboration can achieve - and what other teams and organisations can learn from it.

3. Get hands-on: three workshops that turn the conversations into practical action

Each conference day closes with a practical workshop connected to that day’s conversations. Together, the workshops form one unfolding journey.

The Future Design Brief Lab on Day 1 asks participants to explore what a thriving Afrika should look and feel like, and what hinders or helps that reality.

On Day 2, The Ripple Effect Lab hones in on how decisions about products, services, places, policies and systems affect far more than the immediate user.

The journey concludes on Day 3 with the Future-Builders Lab, which asks what human abilities and mindsets will be needed to thrive in an unpredictable future, and how learning must change to develop those capabilities throughout life.

The workshops are developed and co-facilitated by Mandisa Mbaligontsi, Suné Stassen and Nthakoana Maema. Each workshop can be attended on its own, while participants joining all three will experience the full progression from shared intent to responsible application, to future-fit learning and human development.

A conference pass is not required, but workshop tickets must be booked separately in advance. Places are limited.

4. Designed to the beat. An experience with its own soundtrack

Celebrated South African singer Vicky Sampson will take to the stage with Khayelitsha’s Isibane se Afrika choir, setting the three-day experience in motion on a powerful high note.

The Friday evening networking event will bring another rhythm and dimension to the experience, with performances by the young musicians of the KMA Marimba group from Hout Bay and dance group His Purpose.

5. A weekend that belongs to the whole city

On the evening of Friday 23 October, delegates, speakers, partners, students and members of the public will come together to connect, share and celebrate in good company, with welcome drinks, canapés and live entertainment. After three days of inspiration, important questions and new ideas, the conversations are likely to continue well beyond the final conference session.

On Saturday 24 October, cultural and community partner Uthando South Africa will host its Community & Cultural Impact Tour. The curated experience will introduce participants to Cape Town community projects, with a particular focus on Uthando’s Waste to Wonder campaign, which has been nominated for The Earthshot Prize in the Build a Waste-Free World category.

The tour offers an opportunity to see how local entrepreneurs and community leaders are using creativity, resourcefulness and collaboration to build platforms for thriving within their communities.

One hundred percent of the ticket fee goes directly to the projects visited. Spaces are limited, so early booking is advised.

6. More design. More to discover beyond the programme

Pan Afrikan Design Week lands in the middle of a bumper design season in Cape Town. Design Week South Africa's Cape Town programme runs from 22-25 October, bringing exhibitions, studio tours, installations and product launches across the city. Visitors arriving early can catch Open Studios Cape Town on the evenings of 14 and 15 October, when the city's architecture and design studios open their doors to the public.

Pan Afrikan Design Week 2026 is convened by the Pan Afrikan Design Institute (PADI), with Open Design Afrika serving as the Local Host and Coordinating Partner.

Can't make it to Cape Town? A livestream carries the main conference sessions across all three days. Tickets, including livestream access, are available on Quicket, and the full programme is available at here.