So yes, design tourism in Africa is still young. And Lagos is showing us the blueprint: build consistently, empower private creatives, activate the entire city, and position culture as infrastructure, not afterthought. When that happens, every visitor becomes an ambassador, every conversation becomes a potential partnership, and every activation reinforces a city's identity as a creative capital worth visiting, not just for tourism, but for business, for collaboration, for the future.
This year season is still young. Visit Lagos and experience it.

Let’s be clear: “Made in Africa” is an origin story, not a positioning strategy. The real work is in what happens next, living and articulating a promise for those you are uniquely positioned to serve. Brands who suceed do so, not because they are African, or made in Africa but because they dare to make relevance, listening, and deep value central to everything they do.

The Création Botswana experience, by uniting talents, mentors, and institutions around a shared vision, demonstrates the possibility of moving beyond individualism to build a resilient, inclusive, and innovative ecosystem. Sustainability in Africa is plural: it is rooted in heritage, fueled by innovation, and embodied by social and economic impact. The testimonies of industry leaders remind us that a brand’s strength lies not only in its aesthetic or market appeal, but also in the depth of its story, management rigor, and community commitment.

By gathering diverse perspectives, we aim to help our sector, global institutions and policy makers on the continent to better understand the challenges faced by creatives while identifying actionable solutions to transform the potential to enable prosperity.

The end of AGOA would mark a major turning point for African countries that have structured their textile industries around exports to the United States. The strategies adopted by Rwanda, Kenya, Benin, and Lesotho offer valuable lessons on resilience and vulnerabilities in this scenario.

African luxury artisans must overcome many challenges of financing, infrastructure, branding and recognition to establish themselves in the highly competitive international luxury market.

And despite these challenges, African craftsmanship has enormous potential to position itself in the global luxury market.