AUDIENCES are often hard to come by in the arts, culture, and heritage sectors and the creative and cultural industries, and that’s why ART WEEK was started – to develop new audiences and increase public awareness of the vibrant contemporary art scene in South African cities starting with Cape Town and Johannesburg.
It also aims to promote the activities of many artists, curators and other innovators living in and around the city. Importantly, ART WEEK also seeks to invigorate the commercial aspect of the industry, in turn generating employment opportunities. The aim is for ART WEEK to become an annual highlight on the cultural calendar of both cities, and increase public access to and appreciation of the visual arts in the Cape Town and Johannesburg/Gauteng area.
Based on similar successful models abroad, ART WEEK in Cape Town and Johannesburg creates a public programme for one short period each year, in which galleries, museums, creative platforms, arts organisations and artists have the opportunity to share audiences and information resources. All participants have their various events included on a map/programme booklet which is distributed free of charge around the city. Unlike a typical festival or serial exhibition, the content of ART WEEK is generated entirely by participants.
ART WEEK JOBURG provides the platform to showcase as well as reinforce the existing strengths of the Joburg Art scene. Modelled on ART WEEK Cape
Town, ART WEEK is an initiative aimed at increasing the visibility of, and strengthening, the visual arts industry in cities throughout South Africa. For one week each year, galleries, museums, creative platforms, arts organisations and artists, collaborate to create a strong public focus on the vibrant art scene of your city.
ART WEEK JOBURG is a collaborative partnership between CADT and VANSA, it seeks to create a more robust community of art producers, consumers and appreciators, by acting as a market platform, an information hub and a leisure attraction for locals and visitors.
More information and the full programme here.
Johannesburg, September 3, 2026 - The South African Cultural Observatory (SACO) will share the findings of its "Cultural and Creative Industries Economic Trends over the last 10 years” review report at the Creative Cnergy Policy & Investment Symposium 2026, taking place on Thursday, 03 September 2026 at AlexForbes, Sandton, in a fireside chat with Prof. Pitika Ntuli.
CaribbeanTales Media Group has entered a new partnership between the Cross Continental Forum (CCF) and the South African Cultural Observatory (SACO), as CCF expands into a year-long international lab connecting Black and Global Majority producers across Africa, the Caribbean, Canada, the UK, Europe, and the wider diaspora.
June 16, 1976, will forever be remembered for the courageous actions taken by the youth to confront the injustice of Apartheid. The students of Soweto took to the streets to protest the imposition of Afrikaans as a medium of instruction, and their bravery ignited a fire that would eventually help dismantle an oppressive regime.
What if your next paycheque came from a 60-second video, a podcast recorded in your bedroom, or a cooking tutorial filmed on your phone? For a growing number of South Africans, this is no longer just a possibility, it is a career.
