“Decor industry continues to thrive despite all of the country’s challenges”

“We wanted the Buyers’ Guide to be a celebration of the talent and creativity that is so obvious in South Africa,” says Ian Hurwitz, SA Décor and Design publisher and CEO who last week hosted a packed launch of the newly formatted Buyers’ Guide.

He adds: “We have many challenges in this country, but our creative industry has always punched above its weight and our décor industry continues to thrive despite all of this.”

The return of the printed edition of the Buyers’ Guide this month took place on the 25th anniversary of this well-loved go-to resource for décor, design and interior sector professionals in South Africa.

The launch on Monday 19 June at The Athletic Club & Social in Cape Town was attended by some 200 leading players in the décor industry, followed by a sell-out blast-off at Decorex Cape Town from 22–25 June at the CTICC.

Buyers’ Guide was sorely missed
“Three years ago, we launched our then-new online portal, sadecor.co.za, straight into the eye of the COVID hurricane,” says Hurwitz. “We were perfectly positioned at the time to transition into the digital sphere, and with the help of our partners and advertisers, we launched South Africa’s first world-class comprehensive aggregator portal into the market. With the multiple award-winning “Marcia Loves It” blog, weekly newsletters and social channels driving traction, we soon became the number one portal in the industry.” 

He continues: “A year ago, we also started visiting decor shows again. There we heard from many clients that the printed Buyers’ Guide was sorely missed in the industry and that it was time to bring it back. With decor shows worldwide back on track and book sales channels normalising, we decided that having a blend of digital and print was the way forward.”

The result is a 504-page, prestigious, more practical and functional version of the Buyers’ Guide that better reflects, in a high-end way, the décor and design industry in South Africa. The premium design blends the print and digital elements and have made the product instantly recognisable across both mediums. The introduction of some key features like QR codes and icons has added to this integration.

“We chose a new practical size of 220 x 220, a square back and a hardcover,” Hurwitz explains. “It is a size that is noticeably different but easier to handle and designed around the new content. Instead of listings and smaller adverts, the new edition features a visual feast of double-page spread advertorials with a pleasing consistency in style and layout throughout.”

Sold-out at Decorex Cape Town
The huge demand and interest translated into an enormously successful return to Decorex Cape Town at the CTICC.

“We had a magnificent stand at Decorex and we were inundated with visitors and the Buyers’ Guide sold out!” says Marcia Margolius, well-known designer and decorator and author of the award-winning blog, “Marcia loves it”, on the SA Décor and Design website.

“We can’t wait to introduce our beautiful, new look printed version of the Buyers’ Guide to décor, design and interior sector professionals and lovers of all things chic at the Joburg Decorex at the Sandton Convention Centre from 3–6 August.”

Industry response
The industry has been unanimous in welcoming back the Buyers’ Guide:

• “Congratulations to Marcia Margolius and Ian Hurwitz for a truly new and revamped Buyers’ Guide. The latest edition is packed with stylish design, innovation and inspiration. It is easy to handle and is a visual feast, and the premium new design blends the print and digital elements, making it a really worthwhile investment for your design library. I highly recommend you get yourself a copy.”
  - Dorothy van ‘t Riet, CEO, Institute of Interior Designers (IID).
• "We extend huge congratulations to you and your whole team on yet another stunning publication. I think we all agree that there still is, and will always be, a need for printed material to page through, even in this modern digital age.”
  - Bronwyn Shell, Blum
• “We are proud to be part of SA Décor and Design as an associate sponsor.” 
  - Elan Kabb, BFS Barker Furniture Group
• “The new Buyers’ Guide is very inspiring; I love the new design and print. It is so good to see the printed version, after all it is one of your trademarks.”
  - Bernadette Crouch, K. Light
• “Grateful and excited to announce that NancyDesigns made it into the prestigious 2024 edition of SA Décor and Design! It's a true honour to be part of their 25th-anniversary celebrations. Thank you for recognizing our passion for art and design.”
  - Nancy Design
• “Congratulations on the launch of the 25th anniversary edition! It is just beautiful.” - Natasha Moody, White Stone Brand Communications
• “Baie dankie, dit is wonderlik!”
  - Johan Pienaar, Pierre Cronje Furniture
• “Congratulations on your new Buyers’ Guide.”
  - Ruaan, Liebherr

Decorex Cape Town stand
The SA Décor and Design stand at Decorex Cape Town was designed courtesy of Design Space by Jonathan Rabe https://design-space.co.za.

Elements on the stand included the following:
Lamp by Willowlamp https://willowlamp.com 
Sofa by OKHA https://www.okha.com 
Eggar Group https://www.egger.com/en/?country=ZA
KayReedSA https://www.instagram.com/kayreedsa/
NOVODECOR https://www.novodecor.co.za/en/
Lights by Linea http://www.lightsbylinea.co.za

For more information about SA Décor and Design, contact:
Publisher & CEO: Ian Hurwitz
Tel. 021 418 7768
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Website: https://www.sadecor.co.za/ 

Social media presence:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sadecor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/sa_decor
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marcialovesit/
YouTube: SA Décor and Design
Pinterest: https://za.pinterest.com/Marcialovesit/