Absa L’Atelier competition 2026

Competition format

• There are 12 countries that qualify to take part in the Absa L’Atelier (Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, the Seychelles, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia).

• After the entry closing date, the 12 countries are randomly divided into three groups of four countries each.

• Artists in each group compete against one another.

• There's no competition among the three groups – artists compete within their own group only.

• Artists are required to submit one entry, which consists of a portfolio of work of a minimum of four and a maximum of five artworks. Submission of fewer than four artworks will result in the artist’s immediate disqualification.

• Each group of four countries have a different group of adjudicators.

• A single winner will be selected from each of the three groups of four countries (i.e. one winner from Group A, one winner from Group B and one winner from Group C).

• Absa has the right to exhibit artworks from each of the winners after they are announced.

• The winner of each group is referred to as an Absa L’Atelier Ambassador.

Prizes

There are four prizes for the competition:

• The main prize for the winner of each group; and

• The Gerard Sekoto Award for a South African entrant who continues to demonstrate growth in their art production.

Terms and conditions

Through its prizes, the Absa L’Atelier focuses on how best to support the winning artists in growing their brands and acquiring the skills needed to build their careers. The Absa L’Atelier gives the winning artists an opportunity to build their networks and collaborate in their art practice, while providing them with a unique platform to best position them within the visual arts industry.

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:

1. A new laptop or equivalent with Windows and an MS Office package installed.

2. 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. The topics covered through the masterclasses include:

   1. Mental wellness: Understanding mental health and how to deal with it;

   2. Financial wellness: Budgeting and managing your finances;

   3. Legal wellbeing: The importance of contracts, wills and trusts;

   4. The art of negotiation and conflict resolution;

   5. Studio practice;

   6. Media training and presence, and social media audience development and public relations;

   7. Building and managing an art portfolio;

   8. Fundraising and proposal writing;

   9. Art professionalism: Developing your career and building your brand as an artist;

   10. Artist residencies and how they can benefit your career; and

   11. Non-fungible tokens (NFTs).

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. 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.

Notes

• All entrants must possess a valid passport at the time of entering the competition. The passport must be valid until 31 December 2026, to allow timely travel arrangements to the Art Fair in South Africa, if selected as one of the finalists.

• Finalists will be responsible for applying for their own travel visas upon being notified of their finalist status. Finalists will be reimbursed for the cost of their Visa on receipt of a valid invoice accompanied with supporting slips confirming payment thereof.

• If a winner elects not to accept the award or any part thereof and/or is unable to accept same for any reason whatsoever, such prize may, at the discretion of the sponsors, be offered to one of the other participants, with the result that the refusing winner will not receive the prize and/or any part thereof.

• The prize and/or any part thereof may not be exchanged for cash and/or payment in kind.

• On announcement of them winning the prize, the artist will be required to sign a contract with Absa and/or its partners for the duration of completing and/or participating in the activities included in the prize.

• Each candidate accepts all terms and conditions of entry, and by entering, they acknowledge having read, understood and thus accepted such terms and conditions of submission of their entry to the competition.