V&A Waterfront-funded initiative, operated by CDI, creates a new platform for circular making, creative enterprise and sustainable growth

Nomshado Twala, Chairperson of the CDI Board; Erica Elk, CEO and Founder of the Craft and Design Institute; Alderman James Vos; and Graham Wood, V&A CEO.

The V&A Waterfront has funded the development of a new Circular Maker Space at the Cape Town Cruise Terminal, creating a dedicated platform for South Africa’s designers, makers and creative entrepreneurs to access tools, networks and support in one of the country’s most visible and dynamic precincts. Operated by the Craft and Design Institute (CDI), the space is designed to support circular making, experimentation and enterprise growth.

The initiative reflects a shared commitment between the V&A Waterfront and CDI to inclusive economic growth, sustainability and creative-sector development. For the V&A Waterfront, the Circular Maker Space builds on a longstanding investment in small business support and enterprise incubation, expressed through initiatives such as Makers Landing and its broader SMME support programme. For CDI, it creates a powerful new base from which to run and grow a national resource for makers and entrepreneurs.

With more than 24 million visits annually, the V&A Waterfront offers the Circular Maker Space and the broader creative sector exceptional visibility and market access. Locating the space at the Cruise Terminal, already home to a growing cluster of creative and food enterprises, places South Africa’s makers at the centre of one of the country’s most visited destinations, while extending CDI’s support to a membership base of more than 8,600 small businesses and reinforcing its role as a national and continental resource.

“The V&A Waterfront has long believed that investing in small business and creative enterprise is an investment in Cape Town’s future. This Circular Maker Space reflects our commitment to creating meaningful opportunities for makers and entrepreneurs, while advancing more sustainable ways of making and doing business. CDI is the right partner to activate this space and help ensure it delivers real value to the creative sector,” said Graham Wood, CEO of the V&A Waterfront.

CDI’s track record provides the foundation for this ambition. Over the past decade, and with the sustained support of long-term funders including the Jobs Fund, the organisation has leveraged more than R200 million in direct investment into local small businesses, helped enable a further R420 million in additional investment, and stimulated the creation of thousands of sustainable jobs across South Africa.

Najwah Allie-Edries, Head of the Jobs Fund, which has walked alongside CDI for 14 years,  noted that “the success of CDI demonstrates the power of partnerships. What makes this moment especially significant is that it reflects the interconnected impact of long-term public investment. Through the Jobs Fund’s partnership with the V&A Waterfront, we invested in creating pathways for food entrepreneurs to access infrastructure, mentorship, and markets. Today, we are seeing those ripple effects extend into the broader creative economy ecosystem represented by the CDI. This is what catalytic public finance is meant to achieve: connected ecosystems of opportunity that create lasting economic participation and sustainable livelihoods.”

The initiative has also drawn support from government. Alderman James Vos, Mayoral Committee Member for Economic Growth at the City of Cape Town, attended the launch and shared the following: “I have thoroughly enjoyed working with the Craft and Design Institute over my time as the Mayoral Committee Member for Economic Growth in the City of Cape Town. I have had the privilege of visiting many of their premises and engaging directly with the designers, makers, and entrepreneurs in their creative workspaces, seeing first-hand the talent, innovation, and sheer possibility that exists within our creative sector. It has been deeply inspiring to witness the real impact that this work has on people’s livelihoods and on the growth of our local economy. The City’s Economic Growth Directorate is proud to support and fund the CDI as a special purpose vehicle that helps unlock the immense potential of Cape Town’s creative industries, and to back the vision of building a globally competitive, inclusive, and thriving creator economy rooted in our city.”

As CDI CEO, Erica Elk describes it, the Circular Maker Space is conceived as something far greater than a local facility. “This is not just a facility for businesses in Cape Town, it is a centre of excellence, a resource for creators all over the country and on the continent. Our vision is that this location becomes a home for creators wanting to play, experiment, network, and expand their horizons. We are open to partners and possibilities.”

As South Africa’s creator economy continues to grow, the Circular Maker Space represents a tangible investment in the country’s creative heritage and economic future. CDI Board Chairperson Shado Twala reflected that this new chapter “builds on a two-decade legacy, offering a forward-looking platform that embraces innovation, sustainability, and opportunity for the next generation of makers”, bringing sustainability, innovation and opportunity together through a shared vision for the sector.

 

ABOUT THE CRAFT AND DESIGN INSTITUTE

The CDI is a non-profit company with 25 years of success in growing creative and innovative businesses across South Africa. In the last decade alone, CDI has leveraged over R200m in direct investment into local small businesses and helped enable additional investment in excess of R420m, while stimulating the creation of thousands of sustainable jobs. CDI currently serves a membership base of more than 8,600 enterprises.

www.thecdi.org.za