We are a small team of editors and buyers based in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban. Every season we travel to workshops, flea markets and design studios to document the makers shaping South African home decor. This page is about who we are, how we choose pieces, and why we believe in objects with a traceable past.
How Ongeto Living came together
Ongeto Living started with a simple frustration: finding authentic South African homeware meant digging through markets with no context. Over three years, we built a system that documents the makers, the materials, and the stories behind each piece.
2019 · The first notebook
We started by photographing and interviewing ten woodworkers and ceramicists in Maboneng and Rosebank. No website, just a shared notebook and a camera. The goal was to understand who makes what and why.
2020 · The first printed guide
We self-published a small guide with studio visits, material notes, and price ranges. It sold out at two design markets in Cape Town, which told us there was real appetite for this kind of context.
2021 · Building the online catalogue
We launched a simple website listing 60 makers with detailed profiles. Each entry included the workshop location, materials used, and practical care instructions. No e-commerce, just honest documentation.
2022 · Expanding to Durban and the coast
We spent six months travelling between Durban and the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands, documenting handloom weavers and basket makers. This added a whole layer of textile knowledge to our archive.
2023 · Seasonal edits and maintenance guides
We introduced seasonal catalogue updates and wrote detailed maintenance notes for every material, from brushed metal to glazed ceramics. Readers told us this was the missing link between buying and owning.
2024 · A community of makers and collectors
Today the directory features more than 150 items from independent studios across three provinces. We still visit every workshop personally, and we keep the same editorial standard from the first notebook.
Our path
Ongeto Living started with a simple frustration: finding authentic South African pieces meant endless digging through markets with no context. We began documenting makers we trusted, and that notebook became the directory you see today.
2019
We started by interviewing twelve makers in Johannesburg's inner city, mostly woodworkers and ceramicists working from shared studios. No website, just photographs and handwritten notes about their materials and process.
2021
After months of requests from friends, we travelled to Cape Town and Durban to meet textile weavers and metalworkers. That trip shaped our seasonal approach and taught us to focus on pieces that age well, not just trend.
2023
We realised buyers were holding back because they didn't know how to care for raw materials. So we started publishing honest care notes for reclaimed wood, glazed ceramics and handwoven textiles. It changed how people shop.
In 2022 we turned down a large wholesale order because the maker couldn't guarantee the timber source. It was a difficult call, but it set a clear precedent: we only list pieces with traceable materials and a real maker behind them. That principle still guides every seasonal update.
We now work with a network of 40+ independent makers across three cities, each vetted through studio visits.
Our catalogue is refreshed twice a year, with a focus on reclaimed wood, enamel ceramics and handwoven textiles.
Every listing includes a maker story and practical care advice, so buyers know what they're bringing home.
150+
Each profile includes their tools, material sources and the story behind their workshop.
3
Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban, with new neighbourhoods added each season.
2×
We revisit every maker twice a year to keep material and availability details accurate.
Ongeto Living started with a simple frustration: too many homeware shops sell the same mass-produced decor, and the work of real South African makers stays hidden in workshops and market stalls. So we built a directory that does the legwork for you.
Our team is based in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban. We visit independent studios, flea markets and design workshops throughout the year, documenting the people behind each piece. We record the actual materials, how an item is made, and what it takes to care for it. No industrial replicas, no vague descriptions.
We publish a fresh selection every season, with a focus on reclaimed wood furniture, glazed ceramics, handwoven textiles and brushed metal lighting. Each listing gives you the context you need to compare pieces with confidence, whether you're furnishing your own home or looking for a gift with genuine local character.
We don't take commissions from makers, and we don't sell directly. Our catalogue is built on studio visits and independent research. This lets us give you a straightforward view of the market, including indicative price ranges and honest comparisons between different workshops.
The team updates the directory by season, so the selection stays current. We follow the makers we feature, and we revisit studios when their work evolves.