south african artistslatest news & developments
Quietly radical: Zee Nxumalo occupies a rare position in South African music, both a product of a digital
moment and a shaper of it. Photo: Supplied

Zee Nxumalo isn’t chasing depth — she’s living it

At 23, the singer-songwriter is shaping South African music on her own terms, blending beats, introspection and a fearless sense of self

Investec Cape Town Art Fair names its 2026 award winners

The Investec Cape Town Art Fair announces its 2026 prize winners, spotlighting artists whose practices are reshaping contemporary conversations around material, image and digital space

The president did highlight investment in digital infrastructure and data centres, gestures that could, in theory, benefit streaming, gaming and digital content production. (GCIS)

Sona 2026 leaves the creative sector behind

South Africa’s creative sector went into the State of the Nation address with a clear demand: recognition, reform and rescue. What it received was silence. Just days before President Cyril Ramaphosa took to the podium, hundreds of film and television workers marched under the banner “Save SA Film Jobs”, warning that the industry was in […]

For Manana, touring is about more than performance. It’s about truth. “Live is the last real thing in music,” he says.

“Live is the last real thing”: Manana enters a warmer era

With live instruments and honest energy, Manana proves the stage is still where music tells the truth

Paid her dues: Lady Zamar describes the album as a declaration of clarity and creative independence, a
celebration of survival and triumph after missteps, misjudgements and misrepresentation. Photo: Supplied

From healing to victory

In this candid conversation, Lady Zamar opens up about the making of ‘Emperor Eclipse’, her creative process and what life after healing means to her

Pearl Thusi is an ever-evolving creative force stepping into a powerful musical rebirth where her sound
becomes a picture and her story finds new voice. Photo: Supplied

Pearl Thusi: A daughter’s offering

A cinematic Afrosoul offering, Sodwa captures Pearl Thusi’s journey into music through nostalgia, collaboration and deep emotional clarity

Paid a pittance: The artist’s path is never linear, but it has over the years become increasingly unsustainable. Photo: Unsplash

The cost of creativity

South African artists keep dying poor while their work enriches others. The Copyright Amendment Bill could finally change that – if it ever becomes law

All that glitters: Artist Johnathan Schultz’s most distinctive and dominant medium is gold. Photo: Sonder Rose Media

Typos & change: Jonathan Schultz and the alchemy of identity

In his latest body of work, Johnathan Schultz trades spectacle for soul, reimagining gold as a vessel for memory, resilience and identity

Travelling together: Jesse Clegg and Msaki collaborated on Entropy, which is due to be released in January. Photo: Marty Bleazard

Msaki and Jesse Clegg on friendship, chaos and creation

When two artists stopped planning and started listening, they found music, and meaning, in the natural disorder of life

Take a bow: Siya Charles, winner of this year’s Standard Bank Young Artist Award for Jazz performs on stage. Photo: Mark Wessels

Art, politics and integrity: The Standard Bank Young Artist Award then and now

Ahead of the Standard Bank Joy of Jazz, Kwanele Sosibo interviews this year’s music and jazz SBYA winners for their reflections on the history and meaning of the awards

Consuming passion: Nolan Oswald Dennis’s installation garden for Fanon, in which earthworms turn a book by 20th-century political philosopher Frantz Fanon into soil. Photos: Anthea Pokroy

The garden that eats Frantz Fanon

Artist Nolan Oswald Dennis’s installation turns theory into soil, questioning who gets to decide what’s important — and why

Arts & Culture Trust Nyoloha Scholarship Programme applications close 30 March

Press release: The ACT Nyoloha Scholarship offers up to R300 000 for young South African artists

Bring him back home: Jazz drummer Kesivan Naidoo, who now lives in Switzerland, will be performing work commemorating 30 years of democracy in South Africa. Photo: Jacqui van Staden

Jazz in the key of freedom

Kesivan Naidoo blends local jazz with global influences to mark 30 years of democracy

Soul-stirring: Bongi Mvuyana will be performing tracks from her new album as well as old favourites in Joburg and Cape Town.

Diary: Edgar Muzah and Friends, Nybosse’s Debut Single NgiHappy Ngawe, Bongi Mvuyana performs in Cape Town and Joburg

Your essential dose of art and culture

Ernest Cole Lost And Found By Raoul Peck (c) Ernest Cole

Ernest Cole: Lost and Found — A profound portrait of the artist in exile

Ernest Cole’s untold story comes home — with a revealing documentary premiering at the Joburg Film Festival this week

Omar Badsha And Dumile Feni At The Durban Art Gallery

Apartheid’s shadow, an artist’s light: Omar Badsha’s story

Omar Badsha’s journey from quiet observer to defiant artist in apartheid South Africa

Nelson Mandela is still a powerful brand indicator for South Africa. Thirty years of democracy has changed tourist perceptions of South Africa; they  have become more positive, overtaking past associations with apartheid.

Discover the allure of South Africa: Nature, business and culture

Tourists flock to the many wildlife reserves, while the attractive investment climate draws global business and investors

Artist Thabiso Dakamela creates another masterpiece for the CAFT  inaugural art fair.

Supporting art and culture in the nation’s capital city – Tshwane

CAFT aims to foster an ongoing dialogue among artists and enthusiasts

FlySafair brings colour to their cabins with new interior designs that celebrate South Africa

Supporting the local creative industry is an important part of this project

Young artist’s dreams coming true

Dante van Kradenburg is starting to get the recognition he deserves