Pan Afrikan Design Week 2026

Pan Afrikan Design Week 202621-24 October V&A Waterfront, Cape Town, South Africa"How Do We Design to Thrive?" Join this urgent agenda to help shape a thriving future for Afrika.We explore one of the most pressing questions in the world of design today: How do we build trust, tell our stories, cultivate future-fit skills and design the systems and solutions that truly help people, communities, cities and nature across Afrika to thrive? Pan Afrikan Design Week 2026 is a hybrid Pan-Afrikan gathering that brings together designers, innovators, entrepreneurs, educators, students, young people, thought leaders, policymakers, business leaders, cultural practitioners, changemakers and future-builders from across Afrika and the diaspora. This is not a conventional design conference.It is a space for people across sectors who think differently, connect meaningfully and contribute to a more thriving future. Event DetailsMain conference dates: Wednesday 21–Friday 23 OctoberVenue: Workshop17, Watershed, V&A Waterfront, Cape Town, South AfricaFormat: Hybrid-in-person conference, selected livestream access, practical workshops, networking and community-linked learning experiencesIn-person conference capacity: Limited to approximately 180 delegates per dayAfternoon Workshop capacity: Limited to 40 participants per workshopNetworking Event: Friday 23 October, 18:00–21:00Community / Cultural Learning Experience: Saturday 24 October, 9:00 - 13:00, hosted by Uthando South Africa. Collection (9:00) and drop-off (latest 13:00) at Workshop17. Why attendAcross Afrika and the world, we are living through a time of profound social, economic, environmental and technological change.We are all navigating uncertainty. Young people need future-fit skills. Cities need more human-centred and ecologically sustainable ways to grow. Education systems need to become more creative and relevant. Businesses, governments, communities and institutions need new ways to build trust and work together. At the same time, Afrika holds extraordinary cultural knowledge, creative intelligence, community wisdom, impactful entrepreneurial energy and the potential to shape the future. Pan Afrikan Design Week 2026 creates a shared space to explore what thriving really looks like in an Afrikan context, and how we can design the conditions that make it possible to thrive across sectors, in government, in communities and through future-fit education.

Programme Overview & Speaker Line-upAcross three days, the programme moves from big-picture Afrikan futures and identity, to the ripple effects of design-led innovation across sectors and ecosystems, and finally to future-fit education, Creative Intelligence and human development. Delegates will hear from and engage with designers, educators, researchers, cultural thinkers, social-impact leaders, entrepreneurs, community builders and future-makers from across Afrika and beyond through keynotes, dialogue sessions, case studies, provocations and practical learning spaces. Please download the ProgrammeFor the full programme, please scroll down and download. Early Bird Ticket Call-OutEarly Bird Tickets Available Until 31 July 2026Early Bird tickets are limited and available until 31 July 2026, or until sold out.A total of 60 Early Bird tickets are available across the two Early Bird options Important NotesProgramme details, speaker line-up and time may be subject to change.Student tickets require a valid student card or proof of current registration at the door.Workshop tickets are limited and should be booked early.The Saturday Uthando South Africa experience has limited capacity and should be booked early.Access to the Friday evening Networking Event is included in 3-Day Conference Passes and Full Experience Passes.Online tickets provide livestream access to main conference sessions only and do not include workshops, networking or community experiences.Quicket booking fees may apply and will be shown during checkout. Convening and…