Jo Fensham

31/07/2026

A must-enter opportunity for the Western Cape design community

The Jo Fensham Yacht Furniture Design Prize 2026, presented in collaboration with the Cape Institute for Architecture (CIFA), invites architects, interior designers, furniture designers, industrial and product designers, yacht designers, students and related professionals to reimagine freestanding outdoor furniture for the yacht environment.

Bring fresh thinking to the intersection of design, craftsmanship and South Africa’s world-class boatbuilding industry.

Registration closes: Friday, 7 August 2026
Final entries close: Wednesday, 30 September 2026 at 12 noon

Download the competition brief and register at jofensham.com or cifa.org.za.

Competition enquiries: [email protected]

24/07/2026

𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝗺𝗲𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝗔𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮’𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝗮𝘁𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘆

Vanessa Davidson, Executive Manager of the and a founding director of BlueCape , shares her perspective on The Jo Fensham Yacht Furniture Design Prize 2026 in collaboration with the Cape Institute for Architecture (CIfA) and what this cross-disciplinary competition could mean for South Africa’s boatbuilding industry.

By bringing architects, interior designers, furniture designers, industrial and product designers into conversation with yacht designers, naval architects, engineers and boatbuilders, the Prize creates an opportunity for fresh ideas, new collaborations and innovative thinking around furniture for the yacht environment.

Watch the reel to hear Vanessa’s perspective on Cape Town’s globally recognised boatbuilding sector and the value of connecting it with the wider design community.

Download the brief and register at jofensham.com or cifa.org.za.
Registration closes: Friday, 7 August 2026
Final entries close: Wednesday, 30 September 2026 at 12 noon
Competition enquiries: [email protected]

17/07/2026

𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗺𝗲𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝗲𝗮

Michael Borgström of archilab reflects on why The Jo Fensham Yacht Furniture Design Prize 2026, presented in collaboration with Cape Institute of Architecture - the Cape Institute for Architecture, is such a natural fit for architects and the wider design community.

The Prize invites architects, interior designers, furniture designers, industrial and product designers, yacht designers, students and related professionals across the Western Cape to bring fresh thinking to freestanding outdoor furniture for the yacht environment.

Watch the reel to hear Michael’s perspective, then download the competition brief and register at jofensham.com or cifa.org.za.

Registration closes: Friday, 7 August 2026
Final entries close: Wednesday, 30 September 2026 at 12 noon

For competition enquiries, email [email protected].

14/07/2026

𝗝𝗼 𝗙𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗺 𝗬𝗮𝗰𝗵𝘁 𝗙𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝘇𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗱

Due to incredible interest and the school and university holidays, and with many potential student and professional entrants currently away, we have extended the registration deadline for The Jo Fensham Yacht Furniture Design Prize 2026 in collaboration with Cape Institute of Architecture

The new registration deadline is Friday, 7 August 2026.

Please note that this extension applies to registration only. Final competition entries remain due by 12 noon on Wednesday, 30 September 2026.

Created in collaboration with the Cape Institute for Architecture (CIFA), The Jo Fensham Yacht Furniture Design Prize invites architects, interior designers, industrial and product designers, furniture designers, yacht designers, students, and other creative professionals from across the Western Cape to reimagine the future of freestanding outdoor furniture for the yacht environment.

This exciting new cross-disciplinary design initiative celebrates innovation, craftsmanship, architecture, and life at sea, while creating a unique opportunity to contribute to one of South Africa’s world-leading boatbuilding industries.

Download the competition brief, register, and find out more at jofensham.com or cifa.org.za.

For any competition enquiries, please email [email protected].

06/07/2026

What happens when architecture and boatbuilding meet in one person’s world?

In this video, Tariq Fensham shares the story behind The Jo Fensham Yacht Furniture Design Prize - from growing up in the world of Jo Fensham Yacht Upholstery, to practising as an architect, to finding herself with a foot in two of Cape Town’s most extraordinary industries: architecture and boatbuilding.

Out of that intersection came the idea for a competition that brings those two worlds together - inviting fresh thinking around freestanding outdoor furniture for the yacht environment.

Watch the video to hear more about the thinking behind the Prize, and why this new design conversation matters.

To register, download the brief, and find out more, visit https://jofensham.com/the-jo-fensham-yacht-furniture-design-prize-2026/
For queries, email [email protected].

01/07/2026

A reminder to enter the Jo Fensham Yacht Furniture Design Prize 2026 now!

Calling all architects, industrial and product designers, interior designers, furniture designers, yacht designers, students, and related creative disciplines — this is one to be part of.

The Jo Fensham Yacht Furniture Design Prize 2026 invites bold new thinking around freestanding outdoor furniture for the yacht environment — at the meeting point of design, craftsmanship, innovation, and life at sea.

If your work speaks to how people live, gather, and experience space, this is your chance to respond to a brief that is contemporary, distinctive, and deeply rooted in Cape Town.

Read the brief and enter at https://jofensham.com/the-jo-fensham-yacht-furniture-design-prize-2026/

28/06/2026

The future of life on deck is no longer built in. It is curated.

As power catamarans evolve, so too does the way people live on board. Outdoor spaces are becoming more refined, more residential, more flexible with freestanding furniture playing an increasingly important role in shaping comfort, flow, and lifestyle in the aft cockpit and beyond.

That is the thinking behind the inaugural Jo Fensham Yacht Furniture Design Prize in collaboration with @ - a new competition inviting Cape Town’s architects, interior designers, and industrial and product designers to re-imagine freestanding outdoor furniture for the yacht environment.

This is a chance to respond to one of the most exciting intersections in design today: architecture, furniture, craftsmanship, and life at sea.

Read the brief and enter at https://jofensham.com/the-jo-fensham-yacht-furniture-design-prize-2026/

Image courtesy of Leopard Catamarans and .tv

21/06/2026

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗝𝗼 𝗙𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗺 𝗬𝗮𝗰𝗵𝘁 𝗙𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝘇𝗲 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲, presented in collaboration with the Cape Institute for Architecture (CIFA), is a new cross-disciplinary design prize inviting Cape Town-based architects, interior designers, and industrial and product designers to reimagine freestanding outdoor furniture for the yacht environment. The Prize brings together architecture, design, craftsmanship, and life at sea, and is rooted in Cape Town’s identity as a centre of creativity, marine innovation, and globally respected boatbuilding.

In this video, Tariq Fensham of Jo Fensham, Vanessa Davidson of Boating South Africa and BlueCape and Michael Borgström of CIFA reflect on the thinking behind the Prize and why Cape Town is such a powerful place for architecture, design, and boatbuilding to come together. The competition brief calls for a coherent family of three outdoor yacht furniture pieces: a dining chair, a two-seater sofa, and a coffee table.

Key dates
Registration opens: 4 June 2026 at 19h00
Registration closes: 16 July 2026 at 17h00
Final entries close: 30 September 2026 at 12h00 noon
Winner announcement and exhibition: First Thursdays in November 2026 at the CIFA Gallery, Cape Town

Find out more, read the brief, and enter here:
https://jofensham.com/the-jo-fensham-yacht-furniture-design-prize-2026/
Competition enquiries: [email protected]

12/06/2026

What a special evening it was last Thursday at the Cape Institute of Architecture Gallery, launching The Jo Fensham Yacht Furniture Design Prize 2026 alongside such a talented gathering of architects, furniture designers, interior designers, and members of Cape Town’s boatbuilding and design community.

This new Prize, created in collaboration with the Cape Institute for Architecture, invites Cape Town-based architects, interior designers, and industrial and product designers to explore the future of freestanding outdoor furniture for the yacht environment.

To read the full brief, find all competition details, and access the entry form, visit jofensham.com.

There’s beautiful images were captured by Photographer Hugo Scott Attfield of Starboard Media

10/06/2026

We’re pleased to share more about The Jo Fensham Yacht Furniture Design Prize 2026, a new cross-disciplinary design competition created in collaboration with the Cape Institute for Architecture.

The Prize invites Cape Town-based architects, interior designers, and industrial and product designers to reimagine freestanding outdoor furniture for the yacht environment — bringing together architecture, design, craftsmanship, and life at sea.

Read all the details and brief and enter at:
https://jofensham.com/the-jo-fensham-yacht-furniture-design-prize-2026/

Discover The Jo Fensham Yacht Furniture Design Prize 2026, a Cape Town design competition in collaboration with CIFA. Download the brief and register to enter.