South Africa's vibrant design industry is a surprise when you first discover it. Typical impressions of the Dark Continent don't usually include one of the world's best advertising and communication design industries, but local studios regularly make off with Clios and Cannes Lions.

Other creative industries do equally well; Time magazine called South Africa the number one destination for fashion design in 2003. A government initiative to create greater value from South Africa's gold, platinum and diamond mines is stimulating the jewelry design industry. A booming retail sector combined with record property prices and huge growth in construction is driving interior design and architecture.

Cape Town's International Design Indaba reflects the explosion in South Africa's creative industries with this annual 3-day conference joining the A-list of global design gatherings. Speakers now comprise the most important names in design from around the world, as noted in the May 2006 issue of ID magazine.

One gets the feeling that the design world may be warming to a dose of earthy, rich, African flavor. From London to Dubai to Singapore, South African designers are being noticed. This is a testament to the world-class education and multi-cultural sensitivity of local designers.

Until now, the euphoria hasn't extended to South African product design. South Africa's manufacturing industry struggles to absorb the 15-odd graduates each year and the local opportunities for product designers are mostly in supporting the media and branding industry with 3D skills.

However things could be changing for South African product designers. Recently some South African product design studios have started to grab international attention. Csape Town-based studio XYZ had its condom applicator displayed as part of MOMA's SAFE: Design Takes On Risk exhibition in 2005/6. Durban's Egg Design was rated by GDR in London as one of the Top 10 Young Design Companies' to watch in 2001 and exhibited successfully at 100% Design.

When Pretoria-based Readymade won a Red Dot Award and a Chicago Athenaeum Good Design Award last year for product design, they were surprised to find out that they were the first African company ever to do so. From this unlikely position Readymade has been effective in designing for global brands that need unique ideas.

Could this be is the beginning of South African product designers emulating their world-beating peers in the other creative industries? Maybe that's South Africa's next surprise.

About the author: Tasos Calantzis is a South African product designer and founder of Readymade.