South African designer Leon Kluge and his team secured both Grand Gold and Best on Show at the Shenzhen International Flower Show with unique designs.
Shenzhen, China (27 March 2026) – What started as a behind-the-scenes build in a foreign country has now turned into a major win. South African designer Leon Kluge and his team have officially taken top honours at the Shenzhen International Flower Show, walking away with both the Grand Gold Award and Best on Show.
It’s a massive achievement at one of the biggest flower shows in Asia and a proud moment not just for the team on the ground, but for South Africa as a whole.
Speaking after the awards ceremony, Leon shared just how much the moment meant:
“South Africa won the Grand Gold Award. Not only the Grand Gold, we are also Best on Show. That means South Africa’s garden here at the Shenzhen Flower Show is number one.”
From the architecture right through to the plant selection, the winning garden stood out for its unique blend of influences, combining Asian design elements with strong African inspiration. It’s a fusion that clearly resonated with judges and visitors.
“Representing a mixture of Asian design and African influence in the design. Not only the architecture, but also the plants. And I’m very proud to take this on.”
Just days ago, the team was still deep in the build phase, working against time, language barriers, and the challenges of creating something world-class far from home. Now, that hard work has paid off in the best way possible.
“Thank you so much for all the encouraging messages from everybody back home every day, we managed to pull it off.”
After conquering one of the world’s biggest flower shows with two major awards secured, the team will soon be bringing their success back to South Africa.
by 