“Cape Town is the best place in South Africa for anyone interested in art.” That is the view of SAFIM Art Collaborative Executive Coordinator Lisa Truter, who points to the city’s wealth of world-class institutions, including the Zeitz MOCAA, the Norval Foundation and leading art schools such as the Ruth Prowse School of Art.
SAFIM (South African Friends of the Israel Museum) Art Collab’s partnership with the Ruth Prowse School has become one of its most meaningful initiatives. The organisation sponsors talented students whose financial circumstances might otherwise prevent them from completing their studies.
Originally, SAFIM Art Collab funded South African art students to attend a curatorial programme at the Israel Museum. Following the events of October 7, 2023, and the resulting security concerns, that programme was paused and resources redirected to bursaries in South Africa.
“There is no question about the value of this focus,” says SAFIM Art Collab Co-Chair Suzanne Ackerman. “There is so much need in our country, and we feel we should be giving back to South Africa in whatever way we can.”
The bursary programme is designed to be both aspirational and inspirational. Students are considered only after completing at least one year of study, allowing SAFIM Art Collab to assess both talent and commitment.
“We want to motivate students to give their very best during the remainder of their studies and ensure they complete their qualifications,” Suzanne explains.
The support is substantial. Annual tuition can cost around R70 000, while art materials, transport and other expenses add significantly to the financial burden.
Working with the Ruth Prowse School has been particularly rewarding, Suzanne says. “Because it is a small institution, each student’s unique needs are well understood. That allows us to tailor support to their individual circumstances, giving them the greatest chance of success.”
The results have been impressive. SAFIM Art Collab’s first bursary recipient, Lona Ndzimande, who creates layered portraits using a range of media, graduated in 2023 and has already established herself professionally. After winning the WORLDART10 competition, she earned a solo exhibition at WORLDART and was selected to exhibit at the 2026 Investec Cape Town Art Fair.
“Art is giving Lona the opportunity to build a commercially viable career, which is no small achievement,” Suzanne says.
In 2024, SAFIM Art Collab expanded the programme to support two more students, Celine Ndzana and Zoliswa (Zollie) Ngxongo, both of whom graduated from Ruth Prowse last year.
Celine, who specialises in pencil, pen and charcoal drawings, is training as an art teacher while running her own studio part-time. Last year she was commissioned by Cape Town Tourism to create Waves of Pride, a mural on the Sea Point Promenade recognising the resilience of Cape Town’s LGBTQ+ community.
Zollie’s journey into the profession may take longer, but SAFIM Art Collab remains committed to helping her succeed. “We hope to find an established artist who can mentor her or take her on as an assistant,” Suzanne says. Having overcome an exceptionally difficult childhood, Zollie found stability with foster parents who encouraged her artistic ambitions. Suzanne believes her final graduation project reflected not only artistic growth but also growing confidence and self-belief.
The talent of all three bursary recipients was recognised at this year’s SAFIM Art Collab Gala & Art Auction, the organisation’s principal fundraiser. Each sold a work, with Zollie’s Reclaimed achieving the highest price of the three at over R60 000. The painting explores a woman’s ability to reclaim her strength and identity after suffering harm.
Reflecting on the experience, Zollie says: “I could never have anticipated the success of my piece Reclaimed at the auction. Meeting the couple who bought my painting and witnessing what it meant for them to own one of my pieces made everything come full circle.”
“It was an emotional moment for both audience and artist when the students’ works came up for bidding,” Suzanne recalls. “Having a work on auction is itself an achievement for a young artist, and a sale gives the kind of affirmation a budding artist has been hoping for. I believe that the sales will serve as stepping stones to even greater things.”
The auction raised around R1,6 million. A notable portion of the proceeds from the sale of the three graduates’ work was paid back to them, as an investment in their studio practice. The balance has been invested directly back into the bursary programme, in order to support future aspiring artists. Other funds raised on the evening will support an upcoming local curatorial programme, as well as an educational initiative for Ethiopian-Israeli children at the Israel Museum, Jerusalem.
For SAFIM Art Collab, the success of its bursary recipients demonstrates how purposeful financial support can unlock exceptional talent and transform lives through art.
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