New Decorex Africa directors Alan Hayward and Garreth van Niekerk bring new vision

Brilliant minds Alan Hayward and Garreth van Niekerk are the joint new executive creative directors of Decorex Cape Town and Joburg, which will run from June 5-8 and July 24—27 2025, respectively.

Carol Weaving, MD of RX Africa — the organiser of Decorex Africa — said: “Hayward and Van Niekerk are bringing fresh vision and energy to our team, setting the stage for an incredible year in 2025.” 

The duo is dedicated to spotlighting the creative ingenuity of the continent through immersive exhibitions, international partnerships and inspiring collaborations that connect African talent to global audiences and SA’s powerful industry players.

Speaking on their event plans, Van Niekerk said: “We don't want to give away too much too soon, but visitors to both shows can expect all-new African Design pavilions and exhibitions, gathering top-tier works from around the world in curated “Best Ofs” that are about creating spaces that foster cross-continental dialogue. We're also looking towards virtual spaces that consider the interiors of the online worlds we occupy, capturing the ever-evolving influence of digital art and design and how they influence our in-real-life experience. New literary, cultural and horticultural programming that emphasises how sustainable design practices are redefining our relationship with nature will also be a highlight of our plans for the new shows.”

In the latter half of 2024, Hayward and Van Niekerk travelled the continent for Capitec handmadeAFRICA, their latest project which has its next pop-up in Johannesburg from November 29-30. They experienced the extraordinary emergence of a new wave of African designers and their aim is to locate Decorex Africa within this context.

“We got to engage with designers who are reinvigorating the global design conversation with work that is fresh, fun and fabulous. So for Decorex Africa 2025 we want to bring some of that to local audiences, who are hungry for fresh ideas and perspectives from Africa in how they imagine their spaces and find inspiration,” Hayward said.

“With our work founding multi-brand collective retailer Always Welcome and working closely with so many of SA’s leading designers over many years, we also want to find ways to reconnect design disciplines at Decorex, blurring the lines of what design can be. This can recapture the powerful narrative of design as a cultural bridge that explores and elevates African craftsmanship.”

Hayward cofounded 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, multifaceted 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”. He is a retailer, best-selling author and award-winning curator with an extensive background in journalism. As creative director of Capitec handmadeAFRICA, his efforts have brought the work of hundreds of designers across the continent into the homes of local and global audiences, blending established icons with emerging talents in immersive online spaces, and tactile physical shopping and exhibition experiences.

Van Niekerk and Hayward’s expertise across design, art and commerce sets out to celebrate African creativity on an international stage, connecting it with diverse audiences and celebrating its role as a driver of contemporary design innovation.

decorex.co.za