Under the theme The Shape of Us, this year's programme examines the relationship between design, identity and the built environment, spanning disciplines from architecture and furniture to fashion, textiles, craft and urban design.
Activating studios, galleries, showrooms, retail spaces and public venues across the city, the event aims to connect established design practices with emerging talent while creating opportunities for collaboration and greater visibility for South African creative businesses.
Architecture and urban development are prominent in this year's programme, with initiatives examining how public spaces, infrastructure and buildings can better serve the communities around them.
A key feature is UnBuilt, presented by Design Week South Africa and sponsored by dhk Architects. The exhibition will showcase projects, prototypes and ideas focused on public space, urban infrastructure, mobility and the future of South African precincts.
Hosted at Short Market in collaboration with the Mission for Inner City Cape Town, UnBuilt opens on 23 October and forms part of a broader programme of conversations and interventions exploring how African cities can become more responsive to the people who use them.
Other architecture-focused highlights include SAOTA's Shaped by Place: 40 Years of Architectural Practice, reflecting on four decades of the firm's work, and a tour of Conradie Park led by dhk Architects. The latter will explore the relationship between housing, public space and urban design in Pinelands.
MŪVEK and CVN will also examine the connection between architecture, furniture and object design through a presentation of furniture informed by architectural thinking.
Meanwhile, The Maak and The Otto Foundation will introduce the Dream Library at Dryden Street Primary School, a project designed in collaboration with the school's learners.
The programme also provides a platform for established South African design businesses to introduce new work and explore collaborations across disciplines.
Heritage furniture retailer Weylandts will launch The With, an expression of good living and connection, brought to life as a bar for Design Week 2026.
Haldane and NØDE will present the il Noir Edition, a sculptural reinterpretation of the Galapagos outdoor kitchen island, while Pedersen + Lennard will host The Industry Dialogue, bringing together local design brands and creative leaders to discuss the state and future of South Africa's design industry.
In fashion and product design, PICHULIK and Piano Terra will unveil SASSO, a collaboration exploring the relationship between jewellery and design. Superella will also showcase its collaboration with Third Floor Studios.
These projects reflect the event's emphasis on cross-disciplinary exchange, creating opportunities for brands and independent practitioners to reach new audiences and explore ideas beyond their usual areas of practice.
This year's event also features a growing international presence, connecting Cape Town's design community with creative practitioners from Africa, the Middle East and Europe.
Dubai-based Objects by Eight (OBE) is collaborating with TSL on a collectible design exhibition featuring independent artist-designers and makers from Africa and the Middle East.
Italian heritage brand Molteni&C will open its Cape Town showroom for a showcase of South African artists and makers, transforming the space through circuit-bent digital works, handwoven textiles, sculpture and live music.
London- and Accra-based Sun Stories will bring David Obeng Adane's *In My Family House* series, alongside selected studio pieces, to Curación Gallerie.
The international programme adds another dimension to the event's role as a meeting point for creative businesses, offering opportunities to exchange ideas and build connections across markets.
As title sponsor, Pinterest is extending its involvement beyond the event itself through a series of activations with South African designers, crafters and makers in Johannesburg and Cape Town.
Under Pinterest Predicts 2026, selected trends from the platform's annual trend report will be interpreted through local creative projects, linking global inspiration with South African materials, aesthetics and practices.
One collaboration pairs Cape Town artist Koooooos with Nammu Ceramics for a collection of vessels inspired by the ancient Greek tradition of collaboration between potters and painters. The project will also include a mural by Koooooos on an exterior wall of Nammu's new studio in the East City.
Commissioned by Design Week and inspired by Pinterest Predicts 2026, the mural combines khaki tones associated with Nammu's natural-clay approach with cool blue hues characteristic of Koooooos's bold, playful aesthetic.
Another activation marks a decade of locally made design by Cape Town fashion brand Good Good Good. A Decade of Inspiration: 10 Years of Good Good Good will feature nine collaborators and design leaders sharing Pinterest boards that reflect the references behind their work.
Participants include Jana Hamman, Kgabo Mametja of Saint Rose, Shaun Hill, Karabo Poppy, Russell Abrahams of Yay Abe and Wanda Lephoto.
The three-day rotating exhibition will combine these curated boards with work from past collaborators and inspirations, spanning product design, sculpture, furniture and art, alongside archival pieces from the brand's history.
The activations demonstrate how digital discovery platforms can intersect with physical experiences, giving audiences opportunities to engage with trends through the work of local creative practitioners.
Beyond exhibitions and product launches, Design Week South Africa will offer talks, workshops, open studios and guided tours, including experiences led by aēsplore.
The Cape Town Morning Sessions will bring together makers, thinkers and practitioners to discuss design, fashion, sustainability and urbanism. Speakers include Pinterest's Eoin Carrigan, designer Atang Tshikare and Tanya Slater of Artclub and Friends, among others.
By opening up studios and creative spaces, the programme aims to give audiences direct access to the people, processes and ideas behind the finished work.
For participating businesses, the format offers more than a showcase: it creates opportunities to build relationships with consumers, collaborators and other industry players while bringing creative work into a wider public setting.
Design Week South Africa positions itself as a platform for the country's design industry, linking established practices with emerging talent and creating opportunities for collaboration, visibility and exchange.
Its city-wide format brings together commercial brands, independent makers, architects and artists in a shared programme, highlighting the range of creative activity taking place across Cape Town.
With The Shape of Us as its central theme, the 2026 edition places design within a broader conversation about identity, community and the spaces people share, while offering local practitioners a platform to present their work to audiences from South Africa and beyond.
The full programme is available here.
