An exciting curated selection of craft and design brands from all corners of South Africa,
chosen for their potential to enter the international market, will be on display as part of
NEXT24, at Decorex Cape Town from 6-9 June 2024 at the CTICC.
The annual NEXT trade exhibition, which was launched in 2018, is proudly presented by the
Craft and Design Institute (CDI), a South African non-profit with more than two decades of
success in developing creative people, small businesses, and the craft and design sector at
large throughout the country. The seventh iteration of NEXT will see 24 exhibitors
showcasing their wares and is coordinated by the CDI’s Fran Stewart. The exhibition is
aimed primarily at buyers who are sourcing for the global market but also accommodates
interested local retailers.
NEXT24 will introduce 12 new participants and will welcome back 12 former exhibitors. First-
timers include former Design Indaba Emerging Creatives Leila Atelier and Ananta Design
Studio, upcyclers Plasticity, uniquely African jewellery brands Ditakki and Zulu Mien, and
Karoo Baba’s Merino sheepskin products.
Overall, this year’s cohort places a strong focus on ethical design that ranges from the
sourcing of materials to the crafting processes themselves, and prioritises quality over
quantity as brand integrity is established in the international market. ‘We’ve seen some
stand-out work in our product sessions – fresh, contemporary and exciting – and we can’t
wait for the public and buyers to get a glimpse of them at Decorex,’ said Stewart.
All NEXT24 exhibitors are coached through the CDI’s export development programme,
which has supported more than 70 businesses since inception. This programme has been
running for several years and was initiated and run with the support of the Dutch Centre for
the Promotion of Imports from Developing Countries (CBI).
NEXT has seen its past participants go on to further success. Last year’s NEXT23
participant Bonolo Chepape of Lulasclan, a uniquely African textile brand, recently opened a
store in The Watershed at the V&A Waterfront. For Chepape, the CDI’s export training
helped her to become ‘export-ready and to identify the sweet spots where I could possibly
improve my product and marketing. It was such a valuable programme to be in,’ she said.
Alongside the physical exhibition at Decorex Cape Town, which features pieces from all 24
participants and welcomes guests to engage with the exhibitors themselves, a digital
catalogue will be made available to those not able to attend the show.
There is free trade access for professional sourcing buyers, Interior designers and
decorators. Register as a trade visitor for Decorex Cape Town via
NEXT24 will be open during Decorex Cape Town show times, as follows:
Thursday 6 June 10h00-18h00
Friday 7 June 10h00-18h00
Saturday 8 June 10h00-18h00
Sunday 9 June 10h00-17h00
General public admission tickets to Decorex Cape Town can be bought via Howler:
For more information on NEXT visit https://www.thecdi.org.za/ or watch here:
CSW2s.
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