The heart of African art at the Joburg Art Fair

The Joburg Art Fair enters its second decade at the weekend with evidence of a fresh focus on art from the rest of the continent

The FNB Joburg Art Fair (JAF) led the way as Africa’s first art fair, introducing the international trend that transformed the relationship of the art market worldwide to the local scene. It remains the biggest art fair in Africa. Last year, in just one weekend, it generated sales of R46m, and the year before it drew R43m.

But even as the JAF expands, the terrain in which it operates is shifting.

As interest in African art grows globally, the fair has a unique responsibility, as nearly half of art sales worldwide are estimated to take place at art fairs. Read more