Design Partnership

What Design Partnership does

Design Partnership (Pty) Ltd is an interior architecture and design studio founded in 1994 and headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa. The firm operates four integrated service lines: Retail Design, Hospitality Design, Workplace Design, and Build/Turnkey Services. It serves enterprise clients including retail chains, hospitality groups, mining and healthcare corporates, and global brands establishing or refreshing flagship locations. The studio has delivered projects for over 1,000 brands across 25 countries and 4 continents, with representative engagements spanning Gold Fields' 3,000sqm Sandton headquarters, Siemens Healthineers' Johannesburg workplace, the 6,000sqm Tourvest office, BMW's RetailNext rollout in partnership with Goldstein Studios, and flagship retail stores for TFG brands including Totalsports (1,500sqm) and Relay Jeans (RDDA 2018 category winner).

The company's delivery model is project-based and quote-driven, with no standardized public pricing tiers. Revenue derives from professional services fees covering interior design concept, technical documentation, FF&E procurement, and turnkey build management. Engagements are scoped per project, ranging from small fit-outs to multi-thousand-square-meter corporate headquarters, hospitality venues, and flagship retail stores. This integrated design-and-build model under one roof is positioned as a point of differentiation from purely design-led or construction-led competitors, and is supported by specialist project managers across all three verticals.

Design Partnership distributes services through a five-office network — Johannesburg, Cape Town, Dublin, Mauritius, and Sydney — and pursues enterprise clients via direct sales, peer referrals, and award-driven thought leadership including its Insights publication (Retail In Review, Hospitality In Review, Workplace In Review). The firm has accumulated multiple international and regional design recognitions, including the International Property Awards 2024 (Best Hotel Restaurant, Blue Marlin), African Property Awards, RDDA Awards, Loeries Awards, and Mix Awards. It is privately held, with no disclosed institutional ownership, venture funding, or parent-company relationship in the available materials.

Name

Design Partnership

Legal name

Design Partnership (Pty) Ltd

Website

https://dp-group.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Design Partnership is a South African interior architecture and design studio serving enterprise clients across retail, hospitality, workplace, and build sectors. Founded in 1994, the firm operates five offices across four continents and has delivered projects for over 1,000 brands.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Interior Architecture and Design Services

NAICS

Interior Design Services (54141), Interior Design Services (541410), Architectural Services (54131)

akta.pro primary industry

Interior Design Services (BPAHAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Retail & Mixed-Use Commercial Construction (IMAFACAB), Hospitality & Entertainment Venue Construction (IMAFACAC), Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)

Keywords

• Commercial interior design
• Interior architecture services
• Retail store design
• Hospitality interior design
• Workplace design services

Headquarters

HQ city

Johannesburg

HQ country

South Africa

HQ region

Africa

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Interior Design and Architecture Services: Design Partnership generates revenue through professional design services for commercial interior architecture projects. Services include user experience strategy, interior design concept, design development, technical documentation, and coordination. Revenue is project-based, typically involving fixed-fee arrangements for defined scopes of work.
2. Build and Turnkey Services: The company offers project management services and turnkey services with specialist project managers for retail, hospitality and workplace projects. This includes procurement, site implementation, FF&E (Furniture, Fixtures & Equipment) management, and project management throughout the build process.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Design Partnership is an interior architecture and design studio that creates commercial environments for retail, hospitality, and workplace clients. Services span interior design concept, design development, technical documentation, FF&E procurement, and turnkey build delivery through specialist project managers. The studio serves enterprise clients with project-based engagements ranging from flagship retail stores and restaurant interiors to large-scale corporate headquarters transformations.

Product overview

Design Partnership is an Interior Architecture and Design Studio operating as a unified platform across four core service areas: Retail Design, Hospitality Design, Workplace Design, and Build Services. Their integrated approach combines interior design concept, technical documentation, procurement, and turnkey delivery for commercial environments. The company has delivered numerous high-profile projects across South Africa, Mauritius, and internationally, working with major brands including Edgars, Spur, DStv, Gold Fields, Siemens Healthineers, BMW, and TFG portfolio brands. Services span from initial concept development through full project implementation, including FF&E procurement and on-site build management.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Retail Design Services Design services for flagship retail stores, fashion outlets, department stores, and omnichannel-ready commercial retail environments. Targets retail chains and consumer brands seeking award-winning store design, customer journey design, and flexible store formats.
• Hospitality Design Services Interior design services for hotels, resorts, restaurants, and guest experience venues that integrate cultural authenticity, sustainability, and brand storytelling. Targets hospitality groups, hotel and resort operators, and restaurant brands.
• Workplace Design Services Interior design of corporate headquarters, offices, and post-pandemic workplace transformations including activity-based working and hybrid work environments. Targets multinational corporates undertaking headquarters relocations and workplace change programs.
• Build and Turnkey Services End-to-end project management, FF&E (Furniture, Fixtures & Equipment) procurement, and turnkey build delivery for interior design projects. Targets retail, hospitality, and workplace clients seeking integrated design-and-build delivery under a single accountable provider.
• Interior Design Concept Development Creative concept development for interior design projects including spatial planning, material selection, design direction, and brand-aligned design narratives for commercial environments. Sourced via the Gold Fields 3000sqm workplace design and similar flagship project briefs.
• FF&E Procurement and Sourcing Sourcing, specification, and procurement of Furniture, Fixtures & Equipment (FF&E) for interior design projects, leveraging local supplier networks and dedicated project management. Supports interior design and build engagements across all three verticals.
• Automotive Retail Design and Project Management Design Development, FF&E Supply & Procurement, and Project Management for automotive retail rollouts in partnership with Goldstein Studios. Specifically targets the BMW, MINI, and MOTORRAD brand network in South Africa as part of a global RetailNext Design rollout.

Quantifiable outcome

• Operates across 4 continents, 25 countries, serving 1000+ brands
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Goldstein StudioscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDesign Partnership collaborates with Goldstein Studios as the preferred supplier for BMW, MINI & MOTORRAD 'RetailNext Design' global rollout in South Africa. The partnership involves design development, sourcing, procurement, coordination and project management of interior design concepts for automotive retail spaces.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• AECOM: Global infrastructure and design consultancy with significant interior architecture and workplace practices. Represents a broad incumbent competitor with capacity to take on mega-programs that Design Partnership's boutique scale cannot.
• Gensler: Global design and architecture firm with practice areas covering retail, hospitality, and workplace. Operates at much larger scale but competes for the same enterprise mandates; presence in Africa is growing, representing a competitive threat.

Direct peers

• Hassell: International design practice covering interiors, architecture, and urban design with studios across Asia-Pacific, Australia, UK and US. Comparable multi-continent footprint and retail/hospitality/workplace focus to Design Partnership's five-office network.
• M Moser Associates: Global workplace design and architecture firm with integrated design-build capabilities. Directly comparable to Design Partnership's integrated Workplace + Build service offering, and operates at similar scale across multiple geographies serving enterprise clients.
• HLW International: International architecture and design firm with strong workplace, retail, and interiors practices serving enterprise clients. Comparable service mix and enterprise client focus, particularly in workplace design.
• Source Interior Design: South African interior architecture studio focused on corporate, retail, and hospitality environments. Closely aligned with Design Partnership's service portfolio and geographic market.
• Boogertman + Partners: Leading South African architecture and interior design firm with offices across Africa. Most directly comparable South African peer, with similar multi-disciplinary design practice serving enterprise clients in the same regional market.
• Michaelis Boyd Associates: Design studio known for high-end hospitality, residential, and commercial interiors with offices in London and Cape Town. Comparable emphasis on hospitality and workplace design plus a shared South African market presence via their Cape Town office.
• IA Interior Architects: Global commercial interior design firm specializing in workplace, retail, and hospitality environments for Fortune 500 clients. Closely aligned with Design Partnership's commercial interior design focus across the same three verticals.
• dhk Architects: South African architecture and interior design firm with commercial, retail, and workplace expertise. Direct regional competitor for South African enterprise interior design mandates.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/design-partnership

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Design Partnership