In Johannesburg street corners and Cape Town courtyards. In small-town art rooms, repurposed warehouses, community halls and bustling inner-city galleries, the South African art scene is alive. It’s vibrant, inventive and deeply rooted in the stories that make this country unlike anywhere else. Yet so much of it remains scattered, under-seen, or hidden unless you already know where to look.

South Africa ArtGuide was created to change that.

We built this platform to shine a light on the full breadth of South African creativity. Not just the well-known galleries, but the community-run spaces, the rural studios, the pop-up exhibitions and the first-time student shows. Our mission is simple: to democratise access to the arts, and to connect artists, galleries, art-lovers and visitors through a shared, living map of what’s happening right now.

South African art has always punched above its weight. Our artists exhibit internationally, win major prizes and shape global conversations, yet at home, many voices still struggle for visibility. We believe South Africa not only can compete on the international stage, but belongs there, confidently. ArtGuide is our way of reflecting that reality: a platform that shows the world the richness of our scene, while making it easier for people here at home to find, support and celebrate it.

Whether you’re an emerging painter in a small town, a gallerist planning your next opening, a student looking for your first opportunity to show work, an international visitor planning a cultural trip, or someone simply wanting to know what’s on this weekend, SAArtGuide is for you. Galleries can publish their exhibitions and open calls free of charge. Artists can reach new audiences. And art-lovers can explore events, discover fresh talent, and deepen their connection with South Africa’s creative communities.

At its heart, SAArtGuide is about community empowerment. We want this platform to be a genuine platform for emerging voices, not just established names. By listing everything from major exhibitions to grassroots initiatives, we’re committed to supporting cultural development in underserved regions as much as in the big city centres. Everyone should be able to see themselves reflected in the cultural life of this country, regardless of postcode.

We see ArtGuide as a space for education and youth development. South Africa’s next generation of artists, curators and cultural workers are already experimenting in studios, classrooms and community centres. By highlighting workshops, student showcases, internships and opportunities listings, we hope to make the arts more accessible to young people. Not as something distant or elite, but as a real, living path they can step into.

Part of our mission is cultural preservation and national pride. South Africa’s creative heritage is vast, diverse and still unfolding. By bringing together exhibitions and stories from across the country, we’re committed to preserving our diverse creative heritage and celebrating South Africa’s cultural richness in all its complexity: from contemporary experiments to traditional forms, from the well-known to the quietly radical.

We also know that art doesn’t exist in a vacuum; it moves people. ArtGuide aims to support tourism and international visibility by making it easier for global travellers to plan meaningful cultural journeys here. We want to be the tool that helps global travellers find and support local art, and in doing so, turns South African art destinations into must-see cultural landmarks. A visitor should be able to land in Johannesburg, Durban or Cape Town, open SAArtGuide, and immediately see the creative life of that place.

Underpinning all of this is a belief in economic empowerment and the creative economy. Galleries and artists need more than applause; they need foot traffic, sales and sustainable support. By giving them a clear, central platform, we’re supporting the creative economy and creating visibility that drives foot traffic and sales for galleries and artists. When it’s easier to find an exhibition, it’s easier to attend, to purchase, to commission, to invest.

Importantly, SAArtGuide is a bottom-up, community-driven cultural movement. We’re not trying to speak for the art community; we’re building something with it. This project is built by and for the community, and it only works if everyone feels they can show up and be seen. Everyone can contribute and be represented: from large institutions to artist-run spaces, from long-established galleries to new collectives. Our vision is locally made, nationally connected, globally relevant.

To make all of this possible, we’ve built ArtGuide as a modern, accessible digital platform supporting the arts. We believe digital innovation has a key role to play in the future of culture in South Africa. By using technology to connect South Africa’s creative ecosystem, we can bridge distances, surface hidden gems, and give people an easier way to engage. Whether they’re browsing on a phone, planning a trip from abroad, or searching for something to see this weekend.

As we map the country’s creative landscape, one exhibition, one opportunity, one story at a time, we invite you to join us. Submit your exhibition. Share a story. Host a workshop. Tell a friend. Whether you’re running a major gallery or hanging your first show in a shared space, your work belongs here. Because for our arts community to thrive, visibility matters. Access matters. Connection matters.

This is only the beginning.

Welcome to South Africa ArtGuide. A community-driven guide to South African art, built from the bottom up and ready for the world.

Together, we’ll celebrate, connect and grow.