For much of modern South Africa's history our greatest artists made their work through waves of repression, and with limited support from broader institutions. Thankfully, this landscape has changed and there are numerous awards that not only celebrate the immense artistic talent we have as a country, but also foster it. These awards, and the artists they bring to the fore, show how varied our art landscape is.
1. FNB Art Prize
FNB Art Joburg is the longest-running art fair in Africa, and each year the fair spotlights the best artistic talent from across the continent. There is no doubt that this has spurred the growth of Africa's art ecosystem, and one of the key ways in which FNB does so is through the annual FNB Art Prize. Aside from the recognition the award garners, winners receive a cash prize as well as an exhibition at Johannesburg Art Gallery (JAG).
2025 FNB ART AWARD WINNER, THATO TOEBA
This year, artist, lawyer, and researcher, Thato Toeba, takes the prize with the jury saying, "Toeba’s practice holds a quiet force… What set Toeba apart was the clarity of vision, the formal maturity of the work, and the considered pace of their trajectory."
Toeba's use of collage as a form of research in their works makes them intensely process-driven, with these layers represented on the surface of the work. In examining the ways black life is represented and misrepresented, Toeba melds together the personal and political, while the assemblage of contrasting images and ideas forces us to hold many meanings at once.
Speaking about the award, Toeba says, "Coming from Lesotho, where we are still trying to build an art ecosystem, I think this is such an important and powerful affirmation of what we are doing. For my practice, it is such a momentous mark of an end to my beginnings." As part of the award, Toeba will present a solo exhibition at JAG in 2026.
GRESHAM TAPIWA NYAUDE'S AWARD-WINNING SOLO
In the meantime, you can see 2024 FNB Art Prize winner Gresham Tapiwa Nyaude’s solo, Sugar Coats, at JAG until early 2026. An impressive painter, Nyaude's work in Sugar Coats vividly looks at the youth of Zimbabwe as they grapple with vestiges of colonialism, skewed systems of justice, and a culture of consumerism.
2. Cassirer Welz Award
Photo: Strauss & Co.
The Cassirer Welz Award was founded in 2011 by one of South Africa's most esteemed writers, Nadine Gordimer. Named after her husband, Reinhold Cassirer, the prize was renamed when Stephan Welz, founding member of Strauss & Co, passed away. In highlighting and celebrating emerging artists from the sub-Saharan region, the award continues the legacies of its namesakes in shaping the cultural landscape of the country.
Sponsored by Strauss & Co, winners of the award are given a residency at Bag Factory Artist Studios. Founded in 1991 to remedy a lack of studio spaces for black artists, Bag Factory is an essential art space in Johannesburg. The list of artists who have held studios there speaks for itself, with Sam Nhlengethwa, Mmakgabo Helen Sebidi, Bongi Dhlomo-Mautloa, Penny Siopis, and Lady Skollie among its alumni.
CASSIRER WELZ AWARD FINALISTS FOR 2025
This year, the finalists were Smiso Cele, Fiona Davhana, Ditiro Mashigo, Swaline Mkhonto, and Chidimma Nwafor. These five artists work across mediums, and the exhibition of their work at Strauss & Co featured grand oils, collage, fibre art, and soil sculptural elements. We're sure that we'll be seeing more from all of them in the future. Ultimately, the judges have to pick a winner – and the overall winner of the 2025 Cassirer Welz Award is Smiso Cele.
Taking centre stage amongst Cele's work is his wood and steel sculpture of two spades joined together. His work explores the ramifications of migration and assimilation, both in the country's history and his own reckonings with moving to Johannesburg. Accompanying this sculpture are two paper-based works which, while not overtly sculptural, feature handmade paper by the artist, among drawings and collage.
SEE THE GROUP SHOW, TRAJECTORIES
Cele's three-month residency culminates in a solo exhibition, and we can't wait to see the fruits of his time there. While we wait, Bag Factory Artists’ Studios and Strauss & Co will host an exhibition celebrating the creative path of past winners with the group exhibition Trajectories opening on Sat, Aug 30, 2025.
3. ANNA Award
Now in its fourth year, the ANNA Award is presented by Latitudes Online, in partnership with the feminine hygiene brand ANNA, and its emergence highlights the continued growth of South Africa's art scene. The award is unique in that it is aimed at discovering, recognising, and nurturing women-identifying artists from the African continent and diaspora. The selection process involves 12 shortlisted finalists who receive profiles on Latitudes Online. The winner is then chosen by the selection committee and an Audience Award determined by public vote.
2025 ANNA AWARD WINNING ARTIST
The winner of the 2025 ANNA Award is Naledi Maifala, a contemporary expressionist painter based in Botswana. The judges pointed to "a radical act of self-possession" within the gentleness of her work and that her attention to the everyday "subverts the expectation that her work must carry the weight of historical struggle."
Maifala's residency will let the artist turn her gaze to new environments and possibilities, and with her practice rooted in her day-to-day life, this change will no doubt bring about exciting evolutions in her work. She says, "This award is about originality, imagination, and dedication. And those are the very things I try to hold onto every day in my practice.”
SPECIAL MENTIONS AND AUDIENCE PICKS
Such was the quality of work submitted to this year's ANNA Award that the selection committee awarded a special commendation of second place to Reem Aljeally from Sudan, and third place to Fetlework Tadesse from Ethiopia. Alongside this, more than 1,200 voted for the Audience Award, with Azola Kingston the 2025 recipient of the ANNA Audience Award.
4. Sasol New Signatures
The Sasol New Signatures art competition has been the leading award for emerging visual artists in South Africa for the last 35 years, acting as a launchpad for creative careers. Winners of the award receive a cash prize and a solo exhibition at the Pretoria Art Museum. In addition, cash prizes are awarded to the runner-up, with five merit awards also included.
For 2025, there were a total of 903 entries submitted from across the country, with the regional judging panel narrowing it down to 105 works. The works will be exhibited at the Pretoria Art Museum from Sep 4 – Nov 2, 2025, offering the public a glimpse into the future of South African contemporary art. The winner of Sasol New Signatures 2025 will be announced on Wed, Sep 3, 2025.
2024 WINNER MINE KLEYNHANS PRESENTS HER SOLO
Coinciding with the group exhibition at Pretoria Art Museum is Miné Kleynhans' solo Augury After Autogogues. Winner of Sasol New Signatures 2024, Kleynhans' solo promises to be a delight to visit as she explores mysticism and truth with interactive sculptural works.
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