Four Young Creatives Bring Their Imagination to Life as Spur and Ackermans Reveal Design-a-Tee Winners
Four winning designs selected from 25,000 entries are brought to life as real T-shirts
Four Young South African creatives have been named the winners of the 2026 Spur and Ackerman’s Design-a-Tee competition, following an overwhelming response of 25,000 entries from children across the country. Their winning designs, inspired by everything from beloved pets and animals to nature, dance and imagination, will now be transformed into real T-shirts, bringing their creativity to life.
The competition, which opened earlier this year, invited children to turn their creativity into wearable art by designing their own T-shirt using the Design-a-Tee colouring-in page. The initiative forms part of Spur and Ackermans’ shared commitment to encouraging creativity, self-expression and meaningful family participation.
This year’s winning designs reflect the very personal experiences and interests that inspire children every day.
Tshepaone drew inspiration from his love of Natural Sciences and Technology, particularly animals. His playful design features an abstract dancing giraffe wearing a tutu, combining his fascination with animals with his love of dancing. The dancing element was also inspired by doing TikTok dances with his cousin.
For Tshepaone, winning brought an additional milestone: the opportunity to fly to Cape Town for the first time. He was particularly excited to discover that his winning design would take him on his first flight and trip to the city.
Qwyd’s design was inspired by his little dog. After his pet wandered away and the family could not find him for an entire day, they were eventually contacted by a nature reserve that had found him. The relief and happiness of being reunited with his dog inspired Qwyd’s colourful design.
He chose colours that he liked and felt suited the winter season, creating a design that was both colourful and fun. After learning that his design had been selected from 25,000 entries, Qwyd said he felt surprised, proud and excited to see his artwork become a real Spur T-shirt.
For Akohlulwa, animals, nature and colour were the starting point for a design filled with sunshine, stars, rainbows and animals. Each element represents happiness, adventure and imagination, while the bright colours reflect the things that bring her joy.
Winning was a moment of disbelief and pride for Akohlulwa, who could hardly believe that her design had been selected from thousands of entries.
Lia looked closer to home for inspiration, drawing her design around her cat, Gabby, who she describes as “fluffy and glamorous”. Having never won anything like this before, Lia was shocked and delighted to discover that her design had been selected as one of the winners.
From stretchy cats to dancing elephants, shop the bright, fun and adorable Ackermans x Spur tees from just R49.95, available for ages 2-9 years online and in selected stores now. This gives the young designers an opportunity to see their creativity brought to life through the Spur and Ackermans Design-a-Tee initiative.
The Design-a-Tee initiative builds on the success of the partnership between Spur and Ackermans, creating a platform where children can explore their creativity while families participate in an activity that celebrates imagination and self-expression.
For families who want to see the winning designs and find out more about the initiative, visit Ackermans online or follow Spur and Ackermans on their social media platforms.
Follow the conversation using #AckermansxSpurDesignATee.
