The Rising Stars: The Future of Design
Course overview
Emerging designers are bringing fresh ideas and perspectives to the industry. This session celebrates the innovators who are challenging norms and setting new trends. It provides an inspiring look at the future of design through the eyes of its brightest new talent.
Certification included
Validated by SAIAT as a Category 1 CPD talk. Attendees will earn 0.1 credits.
Meet the SPEAKERs
Alan Hayward & Garreth Van Niekerk
Executive Creative Directors, Decorex Africa
Hayward co-founded Always Welcome with Van Niekerk, and leverages his creative insight and business acumen as Marketing and Programmes Director of the Inside Out Centre for the Arts in Johannesburg and Lead Buyer and Operations Director for Capitec handmadeAFRICA. With a background in economics, politics, and a SAMA-nominated music career, he brings a dynamic, multi-faceted approach to Decorex Africa.
Van Niekerk has been named one of GQ’s ‘Creatives to Watch’ and described by the Sunday Times as a ‘creative force’. Read more...
Molly Roberts
Haus Mayhem
Molly Roberts (HAUSMAYHEM) is a Johannesburg-based visual artist and ceramicist whose work explores the tension between vulnerability and strength within femininity. A graduate of the University of Johannesburg’s Fine Art Honours programme (2023), Roberts has since developed a distinctive practice rooted in tactile materiality and sculptural form. Their ceramics draw on organic, often ambiguous shapes that evoke the body, flora, and geological formations, bridging natural elements with emotional landscapes. Through a careful balance of rough textures and soft silhouettes, Roberts examines how femininity can hold both resilience and delicacy. Their work has been exhibited at Keyes Art Mile with Kalashnikov Gallery, No End Contemporary, and in a pop-up exhibition in Zurich, reflecting a growing international interest in their evolving visual language.
Muko Mutezo
The Hungry Mute
TheHungryMute is a South African food design studio and gourmet bakery brand redefining indulgence through the lens of African culture, creativity, and silence. Founded by food designer Makomborero Mutezo, the brand merges design, storytelling, and food innovation to create visually iconic and taste-driven experiences. Best known for our signature Pitori Chipi and assorted flavors box concept, inspired by sneaker drops and couture gifting, TheHungryMute explores the intersection of African flavors, intentional packaging, and premium dessert culture. Our products are handmade, research-driven, and packaged to be both eaten and admired.
Sandy Harris
Callie Quilts
Callie was born from a mutual love of textiles and colour shared between mother and daughter Carolyn and Sandy Harris. Each Callie quilt is meticulously pieced together in Cape Town and Onrus, crafted with love, attention to detail, and quality, resulting in an heirloom piece that can be passed down from generation to generation.
Photo by David Harris
Photo by David Harris
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