Do we really need more newness? The short answer is no. When you think of advancements in technology, overconsumption and consumerism in excess, my guttural response is to shut down. However, if newness is born with a human-centric and strategically sustainable lens, the answer to my question is yes – we need this type of newness. When Margot Molyneux founded Design Week South Africa powered by Yoco, she perhaps unknowingly initiated a wave of creativity which unlocked individual and collective capacity for expansion, for good, which lasted long after the festivities.

We take a tour of some of the highlights from both Johannesburg and Cape Town Design Weeks, which were part of the inaugural fair which ran this October. 

Parklet Cape Town Station, Photography courtesy of the Young Urbanists

Connect Everything Collective Panel Discussion: “Mapping South African Archives For The Future”

On 26 October, CEC hosted a panel discussion as part of Design Week South Africa. With an incredible venue sponsored by Belmond Mount Nelson, it was more than just a conversation on the Mapping of South African Fashion Archives for the Future, but about design and archiving as a means of progress and equity. As we shared in our monthly mailer (subscribe here) and will continue to reiterate: this is our non-negotiable perspective on storytelling – heroing insights from local advocates including Wanda Lephoto, Andile Dlamini, Yamkela Mahlelehlele and Alexa Schempers, in conversation with Holly Beaton and facilitated by the CEC team and Editor in Chief, Candice Erasmus. 

In light of this discussion, Wanda Lephoto shared: “South Africa has a very complex history, how our relationship with each other is very nuanced and we have to take accountability for the shared histories of this place in a way that is very conscious of the kinds of futures we would like to create for ourselves. 

One of the things I believe in is us being brave to confront the uncomfortable conversations about where we are as an industry and where we still need to go and often times we can hide in the shadows of seeming being brave but actually being complicit in the further development of the kinds of new histories we are creating that further contribute the complexity of our situation in this country.

For people, brands and corporates that have huge amounts of resources or access that have created platforms that want to show South African art and design in its best light, sending out invites isn’t enough anymore. An invite without the right kind of access, tools and resources to support the people you have invited isn’t brave, it’s cowardly. We have to start recognizing that in an industry like ours, with the shared histories like ours, not all of us can participate at the same capacity and it’s collectively up to us all to support each other and make efforts to support everyone where their needs need it the most. 

This is very complex and it will take some time to figure out but it has to start and in many ways it already has because we are having the conversation.”

Design Week Joburg Open Street Activation, Imagery courtesy of Design Week South Africa, polaroids by et al studio 

Young Urbanist Discussion: South Africa’s Future Townships, Dunoon, Khayelitsha & Langa

On Friday 25 October, visitors were able to take a tour and observe the community work that was carried out in Dunoon by the Young Urbanists team. Their initiative and focus is to improve housing, reduce waste and tackle the struggles of mobility planning in the city. Dunoon is one of Cape Town’s most rapidly evolving urban areas and the  excursion provided a firsthand look at how public transport connects the city’s centre to lesser developed, fast-growing areas. It was a unique opportunity to engage with the challenges and opportunities of urban development in a space that showcases a mix of formal and informal structures. ​Roland Postma of Young Urbanists shared that the visit, hosted from the international award winning Dunoon Library, was “designed to inspire and inform urban planners, architects, policymakers, and anyone interested in the challenges of sustainable urban growth and development. It’s an opportunity to explore Dunoon’s current landscape while gaining insights into potential future improvements in integrating infrastructure, community spaces, and resource management.” 

Further to the community and social development work Young Urbanist is doing, on Friday 25 October, the event directed towards exploring “South Africa’s Future Public Transportation Interchange: Cape Town Train Station”, was part of Design Week South Africa and Transportation Month. It focused on the R1.5 billion redevelopment of the Cape Town Station Forecourt, exploring the future of transit-oriented development (TOD) and public-private partnerships (PPP). The event looked at the importance of making public transport hubs safe, efficient, and accessible, with Cape Town Train Station serving as a blueprint for future transport interchanges across South Africa.

Roland Postma, founder of Young Urbanist and integral team member of Design Week shared with us about the event, “Design Week South Africa showed the power of design being diverse and versatile, with many overlaps between furniture makers and architects, using design to make South Africa a better place. The other big drawing factor for exhibitors, change-makers, and designers was that instead of being confined to a single building or space, Design Week South Africa took place across Johannesburg and Cape Town, where the public was invited to real spaces by real people solving real issues through design. 

This experience meant better conversations were had, more synergies, and a truly inclusive platform that covered a wide array of design sectors. In Johannesburg, we got to see the future South African neighbourhood with no walls and streets for people, not private cars that boasted big economic returns in Rosebank by Intraprop. 

Whereas in Cape Town, we saw the City of Cape Town’s modular, state-of-the-art library in the heart of the Dunoon Township, talks about how Urban-Think Tank Empower is upgrading Khayelitsha Site C with new housing and public spaces, new third spaces like the modular parklet at the Cape Town Precinct by Flatrock Studio, and experienced a car-free Bree Street on the last day of Design Week.”

Dunoon Site Visit – Housing, Waste, and Mobility Planning. Dunoon Community Centre, Photography Courtesy of the Young Urbanists

“Museum of the Brave” by Yoco

Over the past ten years, Yoco has celebrated the courage of business owners – the people who’ve taken bold steps to follow their dreams, transforming their ideas into thriving businesses. To mark this ten-year journey, Yoco, in collaboration with Design Week, created “The Museum of the Brave”, an installation at OnePark, which ran from 24-26 October. The immersive exhibition that brings to life the stories of courage and determination that define the journey of business owners. Seeing the face of an entrepreneur, picking up the telephone and hearing their story is an inspiring way to acknowledge what is possible when supporting small businesses.

‘The Travelling Eye’ Exhibit at The Manor 

The first night of the Joburg leg of Design Week South Africa (Thursday 10 October) kicked off with a store activation and a Beijing Opera dinner celebration at 44 Stanley’s The Manor. Including an in-store and window activation that featured local brands and curated artworks, the event was put together, and hosted, by the teams at The Manor and Lookbook’s House and Leisure. 

‘The Traveling Eye’ at The Manor, Photography by Thabo Mthombeni

Further highlights and exhibitions show how an entire design community was able to plugin to the platform created by Design Week. To mention a few: (but this is by no means an exhaustive list), the ‘African Chair’ exhibition, a collaboration between House and Leisure and interior architect Marlon James; Demo Projects in collaboration with The MAAK showcased “Clay, Library, Land Studies” which was a cross-disciplinary exhibition told through the lens of a new library being built in District 6; ‘BROKEN PEOPLE FIXED POSITIONS,’ by Kooooooos and Ex.Hotel; and an in-store summer refresh at 43 Bree by Klûk CGDT. Wunders exhibited the products and artworks of their ‘Waste Workshop’, where local artists and creatives upcycled waste in collaboration with breakroom. Et al. studio curated ‘Some Things’ Exhibition with a range of local designers and artists at Gorgeous George Hotel. Brands and designers, such as Hoi P’loy, Cape Cobra and N I S H, each launched brand new products and collections over the weekend. 

We encourage you to explore what each brand and creative began over this week and show continued support for their development. This week of activities, activations and showcases lives on and proves what can be done, that design is not limited or exclusive, that more can indeed be more – towards betterment.

A huge congratulations to each collective, the individuals who participated and facilitated – wrapped up in the generosity of funders and sponsors. Time to start that project for Design Week 2025. 

Written by: Grace Crooks

For more news, visit the Connect Everything Collective homepage www.ceconline.co.za