AIDA Awards

The wait is finally over… and the Africa International Design Awards winners are here! 🏆✨⁠ ⁠ We are beyond proud to unveil the first ever winners of the AIDA Awards, marking a major milestone for creativity and forward thinking design across Africa, the diaspora, and beyond.⁠ ⁠ This is more than an award. It is a movement. One that honours African designers and international voices whose work is rooted in Africa, shaping bold, innovative solutions for real challenges and real communities.⁠ ⁠ Thank you to every designer who submitted and shared your vision and creations with us — you are the reason this platform exists and continues to grow.⁠ ⁠ A special thank you to our partners and sponsors for supporting the first edition of the Awards, and to our jury members for their expertise and thoughtful selection of this year’s winners.⁠ ⁠ Congratulations once again to all the winners and honourees of the inaugural AIDA Awards! 🌍✨⁠ ⁠ Explore the 2026 winners in the link in bio. ⁠ ⁠ #aidawards #africandesign #africainternationaldesignawards #designaward⁠

Now that submissions are officially closed, our jury is in session 🎉⁠ ⁠ Every entry is being carefully reviewed by our incredible lineup of jury members for the very first edition of the AIDA Awards. Thank you to everyone who participated and submitted your work— we’re truly inspired by all of you ✨⁠ ⁠ Winners will be announced in the coming weeks 🏆 Stay tuned.⁠ ⁠ #aidawards #africandesign #africainternationaldesignawards #designaward

Africa’s creativity is bold, visionary, and ready to take the global stage. 🌟⁠ ⁠ The AIDA Awards is a new global platform celebrating the power of African design to transform the world. We’re spotlighting emerging talents and honoring professionals who are shaping the future of design in Africa and around the world. 🌍⁠ ⁠ Launching this 22 July 2025 in Cotonou, Benin. Brought to life through a visionary partnership between @africadesignschool & 3C Awards Group. ⁠ ⁠ #africainternationaldesignawards #aidaawards #africandesign #designaward #africadesignschool #africandesignweek

A Hand-Folded Origami Wall Installation | Winner in Product Design - Homeware & Decoration⁠ ⁠ The BRGR restaurant in Cairo features an 18,000-module origami wall installation that merges large-scale geometric art with structural precision and sustainable design. ⁠ ⁠ Hand-folded over two months, each module was carefully crafted to maintain the integrity of the interlocking system.⁠ ⁠ Lead Designer: Gina Nagi⁠ @gina.nagi Client Name: BRGR⁠ Photo Credit: Amin Shalaby⁠ ⁠ 📍 Location: Cairo, Egypt⁠ ⁠ Learn more about the installation in the link in bio. ⁠ ⁠ #aidawards #africandesign #africainternationaldesignawards #designaward

32° East Arts Centre | Winner in Architecture - Cultural Building Architecture⁠ ⁠ This centre is Kampala’s first purpose-built community arts facility, developed by the 32° East | Ugandan Arts Trust.⁠ ⁠ Designed to support East Africa’s visual arts community, it offers artist studios, a specialised art library, co-working spaces, and a flexible programme of workshops, residencies, and exhibitions.⁠ ⁠ Company: Localworks⁠ @localworksug Lead Designers: Studio FH Architects, Aquila Gallery, Equatorsun Ltd, Dudley Kasibante & Partners⁠ Design Team / Other designers:Felix Holland, Allan Semakula, Edson Agume, Wilson Sendikwanawa,⁠ Architecture Firm: New Makers Bureau⁠ @newmakersbureau Construction Company: Localworks⁠ Client Name: 32° East | Ugandan Arts Trust Photo Credit: New Makers Bureau, Timothy Latim and Will Boase Photoraphy⁠ ⁠ 📍 Location: Kampala, Uganda⁠ ⁠ Learn more about the project in the link in bio. ⁠ ⁠ #aidawards #africandesign #africainternationaldesignawards #designaward

What an incredible few days at the PAID Summit 2026! 🌍✨ As a proud partner of the summit, the AIDA Awards was honored to be part of these important conversations shaping the creative industry today and tomorrow.⁠ ⁠ Last week, the global design community came together for three inspiring days of conversation, collaboration, and powerful exchange at the summit. Hosted by Light Design Lab, the event proved just how impactful virtual gatherings can be — with an incredible response from designers, architects, educators, and creative leaders across Africa and the diaspora. ⁠ ⁠ One of the highlights was hearing from our very own Astrid Hébert, Co-Founder & Director of 3C Group GmbH, during her talk on Global Positioning: Telling African Interior Stories, where she explored the importance of creating stronger global recognition for African design voices and creative excellence.⁠ ⁠ Thank you to everyone who joined, contributed, and shared their perspectives throughout the summit. The discussions sparked over these three days will continue far beyond the event itself. Until the next one! ⁠ ⁠ #paidsummit #aidaawards #africainternationaldesignawards #africandesign

Take a closer look at The Kabila Collection, created by Terry Aidoo, our 2026 Product Designer of the Year. Together with Festival Divercity, the collection reimagines furniture as a space for connection, community, and shared presence.⁠ ⁠ Drawing from African cultural memory and the communal courtyard, Kabila turns gathering into the heart of the design itself. Sculptural forms, tactile finishes, and grounded silhouettes bring together contemporary expression and ancestral influence. ⁠ ⁠ Since its debut at Milan Design Week, the collection has received international attention for its cultural depth and powerful storytelling.⁠ ⁠ Check out his story as he shares the vision behind this award-winning project!⁠ ⁠ Video Credit: NEVERHADFUNDS (@neverhadfunds )⁠ Photo Credit: Elisa Pasotti (@_elisapasotti )⁠ ⁠ Learn more about the Kabila Collection in the link in bio. ⁠ ⁠ #aidawards #africandesign #africainternationaldesignawards #designaward #fashiondesign

As we built the AIDA Awards from the ground up, there was no one more fitting to lead our very first jury than Bibi Seck. A true force in the design world, he continues to inspire generations of creatives across Africa and beyond through his work, vision, and influence.⁠ ⁠ His words capture something we have felt since launching this inaugural edition: African design is entering a powerful new chapter. Across the continent, creatives are shaping work that is thoughtful, rooted, innovative, and deeply connected to the realities and cultures that inspire it. Just as important is the responsibility to uplift the next generation and create space for their voices to grow.⁠ ⁠ As we celebrate our first winners, we also celebrate the people helping pave the way forward. 🌍⁠ ⁠ #aidawards #africandesign #africainternationaldesignawards

The first edition of the AIDA Awards has officially revealed its winners! Organised by @aidawards , the team received more than 300 submissions from 40 countries, honouring designers, architects, and innovators across the continent and the diaspora. This award spotlights a powerful movement emerging across Africa, where design becomes a tool for identity, resilience, and future-making. Among the standout winners was the “Bidi Bidi Refugee Settlement” by @localworksug , awarded “Architectural Design of the Year” for its low-carbon humanitarian design serving over 270,000 South Sudanese refugees in Uganda. Other winning projects explored everything from modern African furniture and sustainable fashion to communication design rooted in cultural storytelling and environmental awareness. Led by a jury @bibiseck , the awards recognised work not only for aesthetics and innovation, but also for cultural relevance, sustainability, and social impact. 👉 Read more about the winners of the AIDA Awards on our website: d5mag.com 📸 Photo credit: Francois ABATAN, Sanny Axelle, GNIMADI Carol / / / / / / • D5 MAG is on a mission to support the design community and equip you with the latest knowledge, tools, and opportunities. Join us and share your designs with the world using #d5mag. For more information, visit d5mag.com. #africandesign #architecturaldesign #designaward #sustainabledesign #africanarchitecture #productdesign #fashiondesign #designcommunity #uniquedesign #moderndesign

THE BAAZZ SNEAKER | FASHION DESIGNER OF THE YEAR 2026 🏆⁠ ⁠ In a world saturated with logos and imagery, this sneaker embraces restraint—precise gestures, living materials, and anonymous yet honoured craft.⁠ ⁠ The brand seeks to reconcile beauty and truth through a quiet, embodied luxury that does not show off, but remembers.⁠ ⁠ Lead Designer: Ghizlaine Elmanjra⁠ @gem_humanforhuman ⁠ Learn more about the project in the link in bio. ⁠ ⁠ #aidawards #africandesign #africainternationaldesignawards #designaward #fashiondesign

THE ROWE | FASHION DESIGN OF THE YEAR 2026 🏆⁠ ⁠ The Rowe is a cross-continental social enterprise innovation focused on health impact and job creation for community prosperity.⁠ ⁠ Originally designed for healthcare settings, it reinterprets the traditional clog with a modern, global aesthetic and challenges post-pandemic casualisation and demonstrates that sustainability, social equity, and elevated design can coexist.⁠ ⁠ Company: World Shoe, Inc.⁠ @theworldshoe Lead Designer: Charles Johnson⁠ @drivenbycharles Design Team: Driven By Charles LLC⁠ Manufacturer Name: World Shoe Limited⁠ Client Name: The World Shoe Inc.⁠ Photo Credit: Asia Margo⁠ ⁠ 📍 Location: Akosombo, Ghana⁠ ⁠ Learn more about The Rowe in the link in bio. ⁠ ⁠ #aidawards #africandesign #africainternationaldesignawards #designaward #fashiondesign

BECOMING A BEACON | EMERGING COMMUNICATION DESIGNER OF THE YEAR 2026 🏆⁠ ⁠ Inspired by the life of Nelson Mandela, Becoming a Beacon draws a metaphor between Mandela’s journey and the structure of a lighthouse.⁠ ⁠ Each stage reflects how he became a symbol of guidance, resilience, and hope for South Africa and future generations worldwide.⁠ ⁠ University: Greenside Design Center⁠ @greensidedesigncenter Lead Designer: Annabelle Armstrong⁠ Professor Names: Robin Turner, Carla Saunders, Caitlin Paige, Nicola Lourens⁠ ⁠ 📍 Location: Johannesburg, South Africa⁠ ⁠ Learn more about the project in the link in bio. ⁠ ⁠ #aidawards #africandesign #africainternationaldesignawards #designaward #communicationdesign