About
The Team Behind the Movement
VACSA media launch event, 2025
Who We Are
We exist because visual artists in South Africa deserve to be seen, heard, and connected. VACSA is the designated visual arts cluster under DSAC's national creative economy framework.
We are not a gallery. Not a festival. We are the people who go province by province, meeting artists face to face, listening to what you need, and building the infrastructure to connect you to funding, opportunities, and each other.
The Board
Leadership
VACSA is governed by a working board of 8 members, each representing a province and a portfolio. They are not honorary — they lead strategy execution, provincial coordination, and programme delivery.
Chairperson
Lentswe Martin Mathole
Ceramicist & Foresight Strategist · Gauteng
Over 20 years in arts development and creative entrepreneurship. Founder of Siyavuka Lateral Improvement Foundation. FUBA Arts Academy graduate, MPhil from GIBS.
Deputy Chairperson
Prudence Magagula
Fine Artist (Sculpture) · Mpumalanga
Sculptor and ceramicist whose work celebrates women miners as "Imbokodo" — the rocks of society. Advocates for underrepresented provinces.
Officers
Secretary
Fhumulani Msandiwa
Curator & Art Director · Limpopo
Digital curator at the forefront of NFTs and blockchain art ecosystems. Founder of Meta Creations. Merges traditional artistry with emerging technologies.
Deputy Secretary
Tshidiso Makhetha
Visual Artist & Curator · North West
Former Curator of Education at Johannesburg Art Gallery. Currently Manager of Visual Arts at City of Ekurhuleni. BAFA from Wits.
Treasurer
Mvulazana Awonke Zidlele
Photographer & Cultural Storyteller · Eastern Cape
Multidisciplinary creative bridging rural Mbizana and urban Cape Town. Led campaigns for Eastern Cape and Lesotho Mining Indabas.
Board Members
Khanyisile Mvukelwa
Arts Consultant · Western Cape
Independent arts consultant helping visual artists from concept to exhibition — printing, framing, and presentation.
Saba Zahara HoneyBush
Strategist & Creative Facilitator · Northern Cape
Works at the intersection of art, technology, and social innovation. Founder of HoneyBush Healing Arts Platform. MBA from Switzerland.
Thobekile Shange
Visual Artist · KwaZulu-Natal
Durban-based artist working in painting and textile sculpture. President of the Board at KZNSA Gallery.
Milestones
What we've done
2025
Non-Profit Company (NPC) registered as Visual Arts Cluster of South Africa (2025/355907/08)
Jul 2025
Department of Sport, Arts and Culture (DSAC) Memorandum of Agreement signed — R2M programme
Aug 2025
Board governance charter established
Sep 2025
Provincial constituency mapping launched across 9 provinces
Sep-Nov 2025
9 provincial engagement workshops
2025
Stakeholder engagement: National Arts Council (NAC), South African Cultural Observatory (SACO), Culture, Arts, Tourism, Hospitality and Sport SETA (CATHSSETA), Business and Arts South Africa (BASA), Art Bank, Andani Africa
2025
WhatsApp community: 700+ visual artists connected
2025
Social media strategy: Instagram, TikTok, YouTube
2026
Website and digital constituency mapping platform launched
The Ecosystem
How VACSA fits
VACSA operates within a broader ecosystem of arts organisations and government bodies. We complement and collaborate with existing structures rather than replacing them.
DSAC
Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) partner of
VACSA
VACSA
collaborates with
Visual Arts Network of SA (VANSA), NAC, Association for Visual Arts (AVA)
VACSA
informed by
Andani Africa, SACO
VACSA
serves
visual arts ecosystem
Governance
VACSA works under a formal Memorandum of Agreement with the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture on the Strategic Support project, as part of the national framework for arts sector development. We operate with transparency, accountability, and a board-led governance structure.
Provincial engagement workshops and practitioner meetings
Join the movement.
Whether you’re an artist, a gallery, a funder, or an advocate — there’s a place for you.