Buyers Day at Design Indaba Expo 2014

Business was swift and crowds aplenty at Buyers Day for Design Indaba Expo 2014. We spoke to buyers and exhibitors about their experience.

More than 800 members of the trade visited Design Indaba Expo in 2014 to source new products, place orders and stay on top of the latest design trends. The special Buyers’ Day gives them a chance to preview the exhibition and conduct business before it opens to the public. This year saw a rise not only in the total number of buyers, from just over 500 in 2013, but in the number coming from other countries in Africa and from growing sectors such as online design stores.

The dedicated trade day constitutes the lifeblood of many of the exhibitors on the floor, who receive their orders for the year from the event. As Bianca Pieper from Art in the Forest reported: “The trade day was exceptional for us. That day made the whole weekend worthwhile. We made many new contacts and met new buyers.” Emerging designer Henriette Botha’s range of embellished accessories was a huge hit, with a buyer from San Francisco buying every piece on her stand on the first day.

The beauty of Design Indaba Expo lies in its scale: it provides a comprehensive survey of the latest design developments in South Africa under one roof. “This really is a showcase in terms of diversity of the country and the culture and I’ve been really excited about everything I’ve seen and have far exceeded my spending budget!” said Denise Bradley-Tyson, founder and CEO of Ethnic Luxe in the US.

If you are a buyer and would like exclusive access to Design Indaba Expo 2015 on Buyers' Day, register now