Emerging Creatives: 5 reasons to apply

Five rising stars from the Emerging Creatives programme at Design Indaba Expo 2014 tell us what the exposure did for their careers.

Part of the Project

#1 Showcase your designs

“I decided to apply for the Emerging Creatives programme because I thought that this is the perfect platform for people to physically see my product before it actually goes onto the web or any sort of advert,” says Simone Biggs, designer of the EDU Chair.  

#2 Sell your work

“The experience in terms of business at the Design Indaba has been great. On the first day I had a buyer from San Francisco come and she literally bought every piece off of my stand,” says Henriette Botha of Henriette Botha Jewellery.

#3 Make new contacts

“I’m meeting a whole lot of people. I’m making the most contacts here, and people are passing by and stopping by because they’re interested in what I do – I’ve been meeting people not only in photography, but who do various things in the arts and design fields,” says photographer Mesuli Macozoma.

#4 Get international exposure

“You can have products, but if you’re not getting them to the right people… you’re kind of stuck,” says Neil Grantham of Neil G Studio.

#5 Learn about the business of design

“I learned from the Emerging Creatives workshop that I have to take the admin side of creativity more seriously. One common theme that I think everyone walked away with is that you’ve got to be brave and believe in what you’re doing,” says illustrator Pola Maneli

Entry to Design Indaba Expo 2015's Emerging Creatives programme closes 31 October 2014. Apply now.