What does it take to build something from scratch on a continent told to follow someone else's blueprint? Richard Perez traces the decade since 2015, from a bold proposition by the Hasso Plattner Foundation to a home for design thinking on UCT's Middle Campus.
Whether you’re a student building your future, a professional ready to level up, or an organisation looking to unlock new ways of working, there’s a programme built for you.
Four days. One shared enquiry.
The Convening, day by day
The conversations don’t have to end here. Watch the Convening highlights below and revisit the ideas, energy, and moments from four days of Afrikan design thinking in action.
Each day of the Convening was brought to life on paper by Deon Hanns from The San Scribe, who sat in the room and translated our conversations into live visual recordings as they unfolded. Their illustrations sit alongside the photo galleries above, offering a different way to revisit the ideas, questions, and energy of each day.
Participants added a piece of their own fabric to a communal tapestry. By the end of the day, it stood as a tangible record of everyone who showed up. Each piece was a small marker of presence in a celebration 10 years in the making.
Want to know a little more?
COMING SOON
Convening Report
The full post-convening report is coming in September 2026, capturing the key insights, conversations, and outcomes from across the four days.
d-school Afrika continues to expand its range of cross-continental programmes, equipping students, professionals, and institutions with Design Thinking for Afrikan contexts.
