Good local design does not have to be loud. The makers on this list keep their shapes simple and their materials honest, using timber, leather and glass sourced close to home. Most are within walking distance of Braamfontein, so you can visit a workshop and see the work before you buy.
We chose five names that came up again and again in conversations with readers, shop owners and designers. Each one has a story, a clear way of working, and pieces you can actually afford. Start at number five and work your way down.
5. Amber and Ash: Candles and Lanterns
Amber and Ash began as a candle table at a Sunday market in Newtown. Two years later it fills a small shop with lanterns, tealights and glass lamps, all poured and finished by hand. Prices start at R120, and most items are made in batches of twenty or fewer.
We make things people will still want in ten years, not things that look good for one season.
The owners also run a refill service, so empty jars come back to be filled again. It is a small habit that keeps glass out of the bin and money in your pocket.
Highveld Light Works makes lamps and pendants in a converted garage in Troyeville. The team uses reclaimed timber, brass and hand blown glass, and every light is tested before it leaves the workshop. Visits are welcome on Saturday mornings, and the coffee is better than you would expect from a garage.
4. Highveld Light Works: Lamps
Karoo Kitchen makes wooden spoons, boards and citrus squeezers from off cuts of local timber. Each piece is sanded by hand and finished with food safe oil. The range is small on purpose, and the founder knows every customer who buys a board by name.
A board here costs between R180 and R450. That is not the cheapest in town, but it is the one you will pass on to your children. Ask for the marked seconds table at the back.
Good design is mostly patience. The makers we visited talk less about trends and more about wood grain, weight and how a thing feels in the hand after ten years of use in a Joburg home.
Highveld Light Works makes lamps and pendants in a converted garage in Troyeville. The team uses reclaimed timber, brass and hand blown glass, and every light is tested before it leaves the workshop. Visits are welcome on Saturday mornings, and the coffee is better than you would expect from a garage.
3. Karoo Kitchen Ware
Braamfontein Supply Co started as a hardware stall and grew into a design store stocking local brands. The shelves hold walnut chargers, desk lamps and leather goods, all made within an hour's drive of the shop. Staff will tell you who made each item and how.
Stock changes every few weeks, so it pays to pop in often.
Prices are clear and fair. Most items sit between R150 and R1,500, and the team will gift wrap for free.
Highveld Light Works makes lamps and pendants in a converted garage in Troyeville. The team uses reclaimed timber, brass and hand blown glass, and every light is tested before it leaves the workshop. Visits are welcome on Saturday mornings, and the coffee is better than you would expect from a garage.
2. Jozi Joinery: the Braamfontein Furniture Workshop
Stoep and Co builds outdoor seating for the Highveld climate. Frames are treated against sun and rain, and cushions come off in seconds for washing. The studio is open on weekdays from eight to five, and orders usually ship within a week anywhere in South Africa. Call 011 555 0135 to book a visit.
Good design is mostly patience. The makers we visited talk less about trends and more about wood grain, weight and how a thing feels in the hand after ten years of use in a Joburg home.
Ask what the piece is made from, who made it and how to look after it. A good maker will answer happily and will not rush you into a decision.
Highveld Light Works makes lamps and pendants in a converted garage in Troyeville. The team uses reclaimed timber, brass and hand blown glass, and every light is tested before it leaves the workshop. Visits are welcome on Saturday mornings, and the coffee is better than you would expect from a garage.
1. Kloof Seating Studio
Johannesburg's inner city holds some of the best buildings in the country. Art deco apartment blocks, brick warehouses and bold modernist towers sit side by side, often on the same street.
Look up. Most of the best detail in the city sits above the shop fronts.
On Saturdays, walking tours leave from Constitution Hill and cost around R250 a person. Take water, wear a hat and keep your phone in your pocket until you are on the main street.
