2026 national mapping · complete
Celebrate South African visual arts.
You came forward in every province, and together we went beyond the national benchmark for the 2026 baseline report. Artists, galleries, spaces, educators and coordinators: you are amazing. Thank you.
The register stays open. New entries shape VACSA’s ongoing work with the sector; they are not part of the 2026 baseline report.
How we did
This is how we did.
+9%
beyond our national benchmark. Together, the sector reached 109% of what we set out to map.
- Gauteng150%
- Eastern Cape134%
- Limpopo115%
- Free State113%
- Northern Cape111%
- Western Cape101%
- North West101%
- Mpumalanga88%
- KwaZulu-Natal65%
Benchmark for the 2026 national baseline report: 1 530 records nationally, a floor of 170 in each of the nine provinces. Percentages are the records received by the close as a share of that benchmark, and may change slightly as the register is verified.
From provincial mapping workshops across South Africa
Constituency & Ecosystem Mapping
We're building a verified national constituency database of South African visual arts.
We went to every province. Ran workshops. Listening to visual artists. Documenting the lived experiences of practitioners across 13 disciplines.
This is Volume 1 of a five-volume strategic framework: from understanding the sector, to equipping it with tools, to shifting policy for lasting change.
See the full programme →
MAP
Find and verify practitioners, organisations, and institutions across every province.
CONNECT
One network. One voice. Linked across geography, discipline, and institution.
ADVOCATE
Evidence for policy that works, grounded in real data, not assumptions.
Eastern Cape Provincial Engagement
The Evidence Base
Independent research quantifies the sector we're building for.
In 2023, DSAC commissioned Andani Africa to review the visual arts sector. Their findings revealed a R5.6 billion economy where 81% of practitioners have never accessed funding, and most are invisible to the systems meant to support them.
Source: Andani Africa, National Visual Arts Review 2024
Read the full evidence base →The Ecosystem
VACSA coordinates. The sector funds, trains, researches, and advocates.
Working under a formal Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture (DSAC), and collaborating with Andani Africa on the sector’s independent evidence base. Alignment with the National Arts Council (NAC), the Culture SETA (CATHSSETA) and other sector institutions has been identified, but is not yet formalised.
Open right now
Updated 12 Oct
Four things closing soon.
We read the National Arts Council, DSAC, all nine provinces, BASA and the embassies every day, and write what each one actually means for a working artist.
The John Ruskin Prize
Artists, designers, and makers from anywhere in the world can apply for this prize, which has a total prize fund of £9,500, including a first prize of £3,000. The deadline for submissions is 2026-11-17.
The John Ruskin Prize
Artists, designers, and makers from anywhere in the world can apply for the John Ruskin Prize, which offers a total of £9,500 in cash prizes. The deadline for submissions is 2026-11-17.
Grant Program for Dispatching Artists and Cultural Specialists
Artists and cultural specialists can apply for funding to help cover expenses while representing Japanese arts and culture abroad. The application closes on 2026-12-01, and applicants must apply via the online portal.
International Creations in Performing Arts
Organizations can apply for funding to create joint performances that involve collaboration with Japanese artists. The deadline for applications is 2026-12-01.
Gauteng constituency engagement sessions
Johannesburg constituency mapping workshop
This Is For You
Whether you paint alone in your studio or run a gallery in your community, you belong here. Find your place.
For Visual Artists
If you paint, sculpt, photograph, design, install, weave, print, or create, you belong here.
Representation in the national conversation
Access to funding and opportunity information
Skills development pathways
Visibility: you will be seen
For Institutions & Galleries
The ecosystem needs you mapped too.
Access to the national practitioner database
Partnership opportunities
Collaborative programming
Government arts strategy alignment
For Stakeholders
Partner in the infrastructure layer of South African visual arts.
Sector demographics and needs
Evidence-based partnerships
National network
Impact reporting
For Researchers & Policy Makers
The data tells a story. We're building the evidence base.
National constituency data
National Baseline Report: coming soon
Sector research partnership
Evidence for policy advocacy
Workshop moments from Gauteng, Eastern Cape, and Limpopo
What Comes Next
Mapping is Volume 1. Here's the road ahead.
The Evidence
81% of visual arts practitioners have never applied for public funding.
R5.6B
Annual contribution to GDP
Andani Africa, 2023
~21,000
Estimated practitioners
Andani Africa, 2023
45%
Spend more than they earn
Andani Africa, 2023
77%
Schools lack visual arts
Andani Africa, 2023
Your work matters. Let us see it.
Artists can still add their details to the national map.
Join the register