Absa L’Atelier Competition 2026

Deadline: May 31, 2026

Applications are open for the Absa L’Atelier Competition 2026. In partnership with SANAVA, the Absa L’Atelier is an annual art competition that has been helping young visual artists from across 12 countries in Africa to take their art to a wider audience, grow their art careers, and ultimately gain the recognition they deserve.

Together with the French Institute of South Africa and the French Embassy in South Africa, they also honour 21 years of L’Atelier Gerard Sekoto Award, specifically for South African artists. As of 11 October 2025, the Absa L’Atelier winning artists joined the ranks of successful Absa L’Atelier alumni who, since winning the award, have successfully launched their art careers.

Prizes

There are two sets of prizes for the 2026 Absa L’Atelier Award winners:

• The main prize, which is awarded to the three Absa L’Atelier Ambassadors; and
• The second prize, which is the Absa L’Atelier Gerard Sekoto Award, for a South African entrant who continues to demonstrate growth in their art production.

Main Prize

The winners will take up their prizes concurrently. The winner (Ambassador) from each of the three groups will receive the following:

• A new laptop or equivalent with Windows and an MS Office package installed.
• A total of 11 two-hour masterclasses, either virtually or in-person, from leading global authorities over a three-month period from May to July 2027.
• A four-month mentorship with a leading authority in the visual arts from their respective country. The mentorship programme will take place from June to September 2027.
• The year after being awarded the prize, a concurrent two-month international residency with the Kromdraai Impact Hub in South Africa in 2027. The residency programme runs from 11 May to 11 July 2027. While in residency, the three Ambassadors:
  • Will be introduced to South Africa’s art and cultural scene;
  • Have the option to produce an artwork that will be converted into an NFT; and
  • Produce a limited body of artworks for a pop-up exhibition on the last weekend of their residency.
• The option to host a solo exhibition within two years of winning the award (i.e. those who win in 2026, will have to exhibit by 2028). The exhibition will take place in the artist’s home country, at the Absa Gallery or at an alternative venue as decided on by Absa and its partners. The Ambassador attends the exhibition opening and is awarded up to R100 000 for material costs towards the exhibition. All artworks must be available for sale with the majority of the proceeds going to the artist.

The masterclasses, mentoring and residency are to take place in 2027, as per the dates indicated above.

Gerard Sekoto Award

The Absa L’Atelier Gerard Sekoto Award is open to any South African artist aged between 25 and 35 years. This award is made possible by IFAS and the French Embassy in South Africa, in partnership with Absa and SANAVA. To qualify, an entrant must be a permanent South African citizen and be permanently residing in South Africa.

The award comprises:

• A three-month residency, from April to June in 2027, at the Cité Internationale des Arts in Paris, France, including return airfare from South Africa to Paris, a daily stipend while in Paris and return transport between the artist’s place of residence in South Africa and the airport.
• A solo exhibition with a partner gallery in Johannesburg in 2028. Absa will cover the material and framing costs for this exhibition up to a maximum value of R100 000.
• Three virtual masterclasses, covering:
  • Mental wellness: Understanding mental health and how to deal with it;
  • Financial wellness: Budgeting and managing your finances; and
  • Legal wellbeing: The importance of contracts, wills and trusts.

Eligibility

• The competition is open to all artists who are not younger than 21 and not older than 40 on 31 March 2026. In the case of art students, only final-year students who meet the age requirements may participate.
• All prize winners will be required to take up the prize as per the date mentioned in the entry details.
• Only artists who are citizens or have been granted permanent residency and are permanently residing in South Africa, Kenya, Zambia, Ghana, Botswana, Uganda, Mozambique, Mauritius, the Seychelles, Tanzania, Nigeria or Namibia may enter the competition.
• All airfares to an artist’s exhibition opening and/or residency forms part of their prize and is only from and back to their resident country. If they need to travel from any other location, they’d be responsible for paying ggthe difference in what it would have cost to fly them from their home country.
• If information is not captured accurately on the system and any information is missing from the online registration, the entrant will automatically be disqualified.

Application

Click here to apply

For more information, visit Absa L’Atelier Competition.