South African singer-songwriter Msaki to headline Absa L’Atelier Art and Lifestyle Fair
The Soweto Gospel Choir and Elaine join a celebration of African art and music as the 2026 Absa L’Atelier Art winners are revealed.
South African singer-songwriter Msaki has been announced as the headliner of the 2026 Absa L’Atelier Art and Lifestyle Fair, bringing her distinctive voice to Waterfall City Park at Mall of Africa on Saturday, 10 October.
She will be joined by the three-time Grammy Award-winning Soweto Gospel Choir and R&B artist Elaine, adding a powerful live music line-up to a fair celebrating 40 years of Absa L’Atelier Art. The performances will unfold alongside an exhibition of work by the competition’s 12 finalists.
Msaki’s connection to the visual arts runs alongside her music: she has studied fine art, graphic design, film photography and curatorial practice. The Soweto Gospel Choir will bring its distinctive voices, colour and movement to the stage, while Elaine, who made her breakthrough with the independently released EP Elements, will close the show.
This year’s fair celebrates 40 years of Absa L’Atelier Art. Special installations and exhibitions will honour that history, while the finalists’ work offers a glimpse of the ideas and perspectives shaping contemporary African art. The fair takes the experience beyond a conventional gallery, inviting visitors to encounter the art alongside performances and other creative experiences throughout the day.
The winners’ announcement will mark a new chapter for four artists. Three will be named Absa L’Atelier Ambassadors, each receiving masterclasses, four months of mentorship and a two-month art residency in South Africa in 2027. They will also have the opportunity to stage a solo exhibition within two years, with up to R100,000 in support for exhibition materials. The fourth winner will receive the Gerard Sekoto Award: a three-month residency at the Cité Internationale des Arts in Paris in 2027, followed by a solo exhibition in Johannesburg in 2028, with up to R100,000 towards materials and framing.
Those prizes continue a 40-year commitment to helping emerging artists build lasting careers. Through Absa L’Atelier Art, artists across Africa have benefited from more than 21 mentorship programmes and 70 international art residencies, while the platform has supported more than 100 solo exhibitions.
“For 40 years, Absa L’Atelier Art has opened doors for emerging artists across Africa, and we want visitors to feel the impact of that legacy when they come to the fair,” says Dr Paul Bayliss, Senior Specialist, Art and Museum Curator at Absa Group. “At the Art and Lifestyle Fair, we present the finalists’ work beyond the rigid walls of a gallery, inviting visitors to engage with it as part of a shared experience. They can pause at a piece, consider the story behind it and see how an artist has interpreted the world around them. That is what excites me about the fair: the art becomes part of a conversation.”
“The 55 artists who have become Absa L’Atelier Art Ambassadors before this year’s show are a testament to when talent is met with sustained opportunity,” Dr Bayliss adds. “Now 12 finalists bring their own perspectives to that legacy. I hope the four winners use the opportunities ahead of them to keep developing their practice, challenge the way we see familiar things and the stories and communities that have too often gone unheard, a voice.”
Visitors can also enjoy fashion showcases, food and beverage stalls, wine tasting and interactive creative spaces. A supervised area will offer creative activities for children aged 12 and under.
Event details: Gates open at 10:00, with musical performances scheduled from 11:30 to 17:00. Tickets cost R350 through Howler. Children aged 12 and under enter free when accompanied by a paying adult. The outdoor fair is cashless; food and beverages are sold separately. Visitors are welcome to bring picnic blankets.
