AIDA Awards @decorex Africa Jhb AIDA Awards at Decorex Africa Joburg and Take the Stage at Future Talks by Oggie!
The Africa International Design Awards (AIDA Awards), the first international awards program dedicated exclusively to design talent rooted in African experience, will be present at Decorex Joburg 2026 at the Sandton Convention Centre from July 30th to August 2nd, 2026 — with a curated exhibition of winning projects and a live panel discussion as part of the prestigious Future Talks programme.
A Curated Exhibition of AIDA Awards 2026 Winners – BOOTH B173
Visitors to Decorex Joburg will have the opportunity to discover a selection of outstanding projects recognised in the inaugural AIDA Awards 2026 edition — spanning Spatial Design, Product Design, Fashion Design, and Communication Design. The exhibition brings the best of African-rooted design to one of the continent’s most influential design trade events, offering a rare opportunity to encounter work that was assessed by a jury of 41 distinguished professionals representing 18 nationalities, selected from over 300 submissions across 40 countries.
Future Talks by Oggie | August 1st, 2026 “Beyond Boundaries: The Power of Cross-Disciplinary Design”
On August 1st, the AIDA Awards will take the stage at Decorex’s Future Talks programme on Level 2 of the 100% Design area from 15:00 – 15:50— Decorex Africa’s live talks platform bringing together the people, ideas, and practices shaping how we live and create.
Moderated by Bathandwa Ngwendu, the panel discussion titled “Beyond Boundaries: The Power of Cross-Disciplinary Design“ will bring together leading creatives to explore how collaboration across disciplines is redefining the way we design, think, and create — from architecture and interiors to product, lighting, and communication design.
In a Pan-African context, this conversation takes on particular significance. Designers across the continent often navigate multiple roles and disciplines, responding to diverse cultural, social, and environmental realities. This adaptability fuels a distinctive, holistic design language — one that is both innovative and deeply rooted in context. The discussion will also reflect on why cross-disciplinary design sits at the core of the AIDA Awards vision: celebrating architects, product designers, fashion designers, and visual communicators on one shared platform.
The panel will feature Martin Döller, Founder and Creative Director of One to One by Martin Döller and member of the AIDA Awards jury — a lighting designer with over 20 years of experience and a philosophy rooted in biophilia, who has delivered over 1,000 projects across four continents. He will be joined by a selection of AIDA Awards 2026 winners and Jury members, including Tracy Lee Lynch (Creative Director/Design Curator, Clout/SA and the Nando’s Design Program, AIDA Awards Product Design of the Year 2026), Chelsea Makin and Andrew Makin ( Co-Founders & Designers, Alkaline Studio, AIDA Awards winner 2026), Tshepo Masilo ( Art Director & Illustrator, Tshepomas(Pty)Ltd, AIDA Awards Communication Designer of the Year 2026), Ryan Olivier ( Founder and Creative Director, Vitalli, AIDA Awards Winner 2026) and Desmond Laubscher ( Co-Founder and CEO, Greenside Design Center, College of Design, AIDA Awards Jury member 2026).
Key themes to be explored include the value and challenges of cross-disciplinary collaboration, the Pan-African perspective on adaptability and innovation, breaking traditional silos in design practice and education, and why cross-disciplinary thinking is central to the future of design.
Now in its fourth decade, Decorex has been at the forefront of decor, design and lifestyle trends, hosting over 100 events and helping to launch thousands of businesses, shaping the industry. The Future Talks programme brings together the people, ideas and practices shaping how we live now and what comes next — balancing inspiration, cultural context and practical insight.
Managed by Three C Group GmbH (Switzerland), the Africa International Design Awards was established to spotlight and elevate design talent rooted in African culture, context, and creativity. The inaugural 2026 edition recognised outstanding work across four disciplines, assessed by an international jury of 41 distinguished professionals representing 18 nationalities.