What We've Built Over 28 Years: A Legacy of South African Fashion Week
Since 1997, South African Fashion Week (SAFW) has been a driving force behind the development and global positioning of South Africa’s designer-led fashion industry.
Here's a look at some of the key milestones that shaped our journey.
1997: The inaugural South African Fashion Week takes place, marking the launch of the first official fashion week on the African continent.
1998: Launch of the New Talent Search, giving young designers the opportunity to access South Africa’s wholesale and retail markets.
2001: Registration of “Business of Fashion” as a SAFW by-line, positioning SAFW as a creative fashion designer business accelerator.
2004: Initiation of the Fashion Fusion Project in collaboration with the Department of Arts and Culture, connecting crafters with designers nationwide. Over 1,000 crafters participated over six seasons.
2004: SAFW is invited by the British Council to attend the international seminar “Nurturing the Creative Economy” in Bristol from 27 November to 3 December.
2005: The Fashion Fusion Project continues as a fully national, multi-season collaboration supported by the Department of Arts and Culture.
2006: Launch of the Student Competition, engaging 32 fashion institutions across South Africa and nurturing the next generation of talent.
2007–2009: SAFW strengthens industry partnerships and expands designer development initiatives, laying the foundation for direct-to-market platforms.
2010: Introduction of the SAFW Buyers’ Lounge, a B2B trading platform for designer brands. The first SAFW Pop-Up Shop provides 50 designers with a B2C trading opportunity.
2011: Launch of The Fashion Agent, a specialized designer sales agency targeting the country’s boutique retail sector.
2012–2014: Expansion of SAFW’s educational and mentorship programmes, laying the groundwork for retail-readiness training.
2015: Launch of 21 Steps to Retail, an educational programme that bridges the gap between university fashion education and commercial retail.
2017: Strategic collaboration with the South African Wool Industry, connecting designers with sustainable, natural fibre supply chains.
2018: Introduction of initiatives focused on the circular fashion economy and the future of sustainable fashion practices.
2019: SAFW initiates research in partnership with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to assess the economic value of South Africa’s designer fashion sector. Also in 2019, SAFW publishes “21 Years of SA Fashion Week”, a landmark retrospective book documenting the growth of the industry.
2020: SAFW adapts to global disruption by launching Fashion Talk webinars, bringing knowledge-sharing and industry dialogue to a global digital audience.
2021: SAFW partners with the Italian Embassy to foster bilateral collaboration between South African and Italian designers, focusing on natural fibres and sustainable fashion.
2023: SAFW facilitates a partnership between South African designers and Italian retailers with À-propos, introducing local design to the Italian market. The year also sees the first export-ready designer workshop and a DSAC-funded trade show geared toward growing international market access.
2024: The Fashion Bridges Programme continues to foster international exchanges, including designer collaborations with Milan Fashion Week and Mozambique Fashion Week, promoting African design excellence on global platforms.
2025: Together with DSAC, SAFW focuses on building designer entrepreneurship through national empowerment initiatives that strengthen South Africa’s fashion economy.
As we look ahead, South African Fashion Week remains committed to nurturing a designer-led, sustainable, and globally connected fashion industry. Our focus is on deepening international collaborations, strengthening local production ecosystems, and empowering the next generation of fashion entrepreneurs. The future of South African fashion is bold, inclusive, and rooted in authenticity — and we’re proud to continue shaping it, one collection at a time.