© Earth Age
Where South Africa’s
makers meet
24–25 March 2026 • Kramerville Design District, Johannesburg
Making It! brings South Africa’s makers together for two lively days shaped by more than two decades of the Craft + Design Institute’s work in the creative economy.
It’s a space designed to spark connections, grow skills, and inspire innovation, drawing in everyone from emerging and established makers to buyers, investors, educators, and policymakers. Attendees can expect high-energy talks, hands-on MAKEshops, live demos, and plenty of chances to meet people who can shift their path.
The atmosphere is open and collaborative, with ideas flowing freely and heritage and innovation nudging each other forward. It’s for designers, artisans, technologists, and entrepreneurs who create with intention, care about process as much as product, and value steady, sustainable growth.
Most importantly, it’s a place where everyone belongs, whatever their background or story.
Welcome to
Making It! 2026
Join South Africa’s makers, innovators, and supporters for two days of connection, collaboration, and shared learning, honouring the craft and ritual of making while focusing on how sustainable markets are built. Through thought-provoking plenaries, hands-on MAKEshops, live demonstrations, and time spent together, ideas are explored, tested, and turned into action.
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Why Making It!
Now?
South Africa’s makers are poised for growth. After more than two decades working alongside them, we’ve seen what truly sparks change: the right connections at the right moment, with knowledge flowing freely. Making It! 2026 is where that moment comes to life.
Over two days in Johannesburg, creativity and craft collide with design and technology, turning ideas into opportunities for growth. From heritage skills to cutting-edge innovation, curiosity drives action, and collaborations are born that could shape the future of South African craft and design.
A Playground for
Makers
Kramerville Design District sits on the edge of Johannesburg’s inner city, where old warehouses have been transformed into studios, galleries, and creative spaces. It’s a place where makers, designers, and innovators naturally come together, and its energy mirrors the spirit of the conference: tradition meeting innovation, ideas sparking collaboration, and creativity in action.
© Meyer Von Wielligh Collection
© Kioni Goods
What to Expect
This isn’t your usual conference. It’s hands-on, fast-moving, and designed to get you thinking, making, and connecting:
Plenary sessions
MAKEshops
Small, immersive workshops where skills are shared, tools explored, and real-world challenges tackled. These sessions are all about rolling up your sleeves and learning by doing.
Masterclasses
Watch South Africa’s craft and design come to life before your eyes, from traditional techniques to cutting-edge innovations, giving you inspiration you can take straight back to your own work.