For 2026, the programme is rooted in The Soft Life — not as a trend, but as a design lens. Across interiors, architecture, hospitality, craft, wellness, food, materials, retail and technology, the Cape Town talks explore how softness is influencing the way spaces feel, how objects are made, how brands connect, and how design can support richer, calmer and more meaningful ways of living.

This year’s conversations move between inspiration and industry insight, with leading voices from Africa and beyond sharing perspectives on comfort, tactility, beauty, care, sustainability, ritual and future-facing design business.

Future Talks is designed for trade visitors, creatives, media, students, buyers, brands and culturally curious audiences who want to engage design as both practice and possibility.

Cape Town opens the Future Talks Brought to you by Oggie 2026 programme with a series of conversations shaped by The Soft Life: a broader movement towards spaces, objects and experiences that prioritise comfort, emotion, wellbeing and intentional living.

From interiors and materials to food, hospitality, luxury, lighting and wellness, the programme brings together designers, makers, curators, editors and industry leaders to explore softness as both a sensory quality and a cultural shift.

The result is a programme that is warm, intelligent and future-facing — balancing design inspiration with practical insight for the industry.