International Design Takes Centre Stage at Decorex Africa 2025

Global guest speakers, international brands and pan-African clout bring world-class cachet to South Africa’s biggest design platform.

The design world is coming to South Africa and Decorex Africa, organised by RX, is paving the way. The continent’s biggest and most respected platform for showcasing decor and design is gearing up for its most ambitious edition yet.

This year’s Decorex Cape Town (5-8 June) and Decorex Joburg (24-27 July) see exciting interactive activations, international guest speakers on the Future Talks programme, the debut of an International Spotlight exhibition, and a Pan-African pavilion and market, alongside a host of top local exhibitors.

These additions to both shows are curated by Executive Creative Directors Garreth van Niekerk and Alan Hayward, in close collaboration with leading global brands and design minds.

‘For this year’s Decorex Cape Town, we’re thrilled to introduce the International  Spotlight pavilion,’ says Hayward. ‘After many years of working with the world’s leading brands, we’re excited to present a selection of what we think are some of the most exciting and iconic international design pieces.

‘Many of your favourite brands, many of our favourite brands, many of the country’s favourite brands will be on show. The likes of Ligne Roset, Créma Design, Nosso and Sofa Company supported by Stuart Graham Fabrics, will paint a picture of where the world is looking for inspiration and what we think will become the defining furniture trends of the next decade. We’re so excited for audiences to experience the space and share with us their favourite pieces.’

Select pieces from standout brands will make for an unmissable showcase – but that’s not the only headline moment. A spotlight on African design from across the continent broadens the international dimension that has been added to the all-star local line-up at Decorex Cape Town. 

At the show for the first time, Capitec handmadeAFRICA manifests as a pavilion and Design MRKT and features over 60 small design businesses hailing from Morocco to Cape Town. This shopping experience is the beating heart of African creativity, where you can browse, try and buy. LRNCE will be part of the Capitec handmadeAFRICA pavilion, alongside other forward-looking brands that are exploring the future of how things are made, like Bombisa, African Robotics, Sizwe Sama, Kind Kid, Roxas, Bambizulu, and many others.

In another show of the continent’s rising creative clout, the Decorex Cape Town Designers of the Year 2025 have been revealed as Reform Studio. This Egyptian heavyweight is behind the award-winning eco-innovation Plastex, a textile made from discarded plastic bags. Founded by Hend Riad and Mariam Hazem, Reform Studio is reviving Egypt’s thousand-year-old weaving traditions and reshaping them for a more sustainable future. 

A dedicated Designer of the Year stand tells the full story of the iconic Plastex innovation. This exhibition-style booth will feature homeware, accessories and textiles that trace the entire circular manufacturing process, showing visitors how waste is transformed into beautiful, functional design while teaching them more about the studio’s mission to blend sustainability with heritage craft.

In a bold second act, Reform Studio will also debut an interactive sculptural installation titled We Are All Woven Together. Crafted from setup waste collected onsite – including wrapping, boxes, tape and other materials discarded during the show build – this live weaving activation will invite visitors to witness the creation of a monumental textile tapestry over the course of the exhibition. The public can watch the piece grow in real time as Reform Studio transforms waste into a visual metaphor for interdependence and ecological unity. This evolving artwork will later travel to Decorex Joburg, where the completed tapestry will be unveiled.

‘Hend and Mariam will be there in person for all four days of the show,’ says Hayward. ‘Come say hi. Ask a question. Chat about sustainability, weaving, Cairo or even just the colour yellow. They’re as passionate as they are approachable, and they’re genuinely excited to meet the South African design community.’

Reform Studio will also be hosting two Future Talks sessions, one on Friday 6 June and the other on Sunday 8 June. And in an additional touch of thoughtful creativity, they will design the ribbon that will be cut by the Executive Mayor of Cape Town, Geordin Hill-Lewis, at the official opening ceremony on Thursday 5 June, signalling the beginning of four days of design and decor delight. 

A coup for Decorex Joburg’s Future Talks stage is Milan-based speaker Federica Sala. An independent curator and design advisor, Sala has been involved with the Centre Pompidou in Paris, the Milan International Fair of Modern and Contemporary Art, the Milan Triennial, the ADI Design Museum and more, and with brands such as Dolce&Gabbana, Cassina and Rizzoli International. In July 2022 she became the editorial director of the quintessentially eclectic magazine The Good Life Italia.

Lastly, Decorex Joburg’s Designer of the Year 2025 is the multi-award-winning architect and designer Charles O Job, originally from Lagos and currently based in Zurich. Recently, Job was a guest of the inaugural edition of the Design Biennale Rotterdam 2025.

Already established as the continent’s foremost design authority, Decorex Africa is well on its way to becoming a beacon for the globe.

Essential information for Decorex Cape Town and Joburg

CAPE TOWN
Show days and times

Thursday 5 June to Sunday 8 June, 10am – 6pm daily.

Venue 

CTICC 1, Convention Square, 1 Lower Long Street, Cape Town, South Africa

Tickets online 

Adults: R150

Pensioners/Students R120

Children under 12: FREE

Children 12-16: R50

VIP Experience: R350

Book now https://register.decorex.co.za/cape-town/tickets/register/default  

Tickets at the door 

Adults: R160

Pensioners/Students R120

Children under 12: FREE

Children 12-16: R50

VIP Experience: R350

TRADE VISITORS

Trade pre-registration for Decorex Cape Town is open: https://register.decorex.co.za/cape-town/delegate/register/default

JOHANNESBURG

Show days and times

Thursday 24 July to Sunday 27 July, 10am to 6pm daily.

Venue:

 Sandton Convention Centre, 161 Maude Street, Sandton, South Africa

Tickets online 

Adults: R160

Pensioners/Students R120

Children under 12: FREE

Children 12-16: R50

VIP Experience: R390

Visit https://register.decorex.co.za/joburg/tickets/register/default

Tickets at the door 

Adults: R170

Pensioners/Students R120

Children 12-16: R50

Children under 12: FREE

VIP Experience: R390

TRADE VISITORS

Trade pre-registration for Decorex Joburg is open: https://decorex2025.it-em.co.za/joburg/delegate/register/

Pre-registered trade: FREE

Trade onsite: R170

Decorex VIP Trade Experience: R490

For more information visit www.decorex.co.za. For regular updates follow @decorexafrica on Instagram and Facebook and for the latest decor and design industry news visit the Decorex JRNL https://www.decorex.co.za/global/en-gb/journal.html 

Contact: Decorex
You might also like.