The 10th annual Cape Homemakers Expo, established as Cape Town's most successful home lifestyle exhibition, takes place from 1 to 4 September 2005 at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC).

One of the new additions this year is the Audiovision Sound Emporium, which will offer visitors a massive range of the very best digital home entertainment, sound distribution and digital imaging products.

Products on display will include portable digital media players, digital cameras, plasma and LCD televisions, home theatre systems, DVD hard disc recorders, as well as audio distribution systems all from the leaders in their respected fields such as: Sony, Samsung, LG, Panasonic, Rotel, NAD, Yamaha, to name but a few.

Another highlight is the new Telkom Touch Tomorrow in Design competition, aimed at the design industry. The competition offered interior and industrial designers, architects and artists the opportunity to showcase their talent as well as win prizes to the value of R45 000. The brief was to design and manufacture a futuristic and functional chair for home or office use. You can view the prototypes of the best designs as well as this year's winners at the expo.

The exciting Lights by Linea lighting design competition, which is in its second year, offers more than 50 finalists the chance to exhibit their designs. Aimed at students and lecturers of the various tertiary institutions, the theme of this year's competition is 'Dancing in the Moodlight'. All the entries will be on display for the duration of the event, and visitors will be invited to bid on any of the designs. This offers visitors the opportunity to own a unique piece of functional art as well as support a designer-in-the-making.

Well-known artist Strijdom van der Merwe has also been commissioned to add a fun element to the show and his original display will be in the Gallery area of the CTICC. Van der Merwe obtained his Honours degree in Fine Arts from the University of Stellenbosch, studied printmaking in Utrecht, the Netherlands, sculpture in Prague and is artist in residence at the Kent Institute of Art and Design, Canterbury. He has held numerous exhibitions in South Africa as well as internationally, and his work has been bought by many private and public collectors both locally and abroad.

Another highlight this year is an exhibition in the Gallery by established ceramicist Samantha Morgan. She has held numerous exhibitions and is definitely one of the country's best.

Attracting more than 340 exhibitors and covering an area of 11 300m², the 10th Cape Homemakers Expo offers visitors a massive range of the very best home lifestyle products and services, ranging from the aspirational and desirable home enhancement to essential home improvements.

Tickets are R40 per person, R20 for pensioners and kids under 12 enter for free.

For more information, visit the Cape Homemakers site www.homemakersfaircape.co.za.