Now in its sixth year, the Young Womxn Studio Bursary continues to shape the future of South African visual art by offering emerging womxn artists the gift of space, mentorship, and community.
Founded and supported by celebrated artist and Bag Factory founding member Sam Nhlengethwa, the bursary is a direct response to the urgent need for affordable and secure workspaces for young black womxn artists in Johannesburg. It offers a 12-month rent-free studio residency, professional development, curatorial support, and a solo exhibition at the Bag Factory, an incubator for experimentation, dialogue, and creative growth.
The Bag Factory, a pioneering non-profit contemporary art organisation in Newtown, Johannesburg, has long been a cornerstone of South Africa’s visual arts ecosystem. With a 34-year legacy of supporting artists through residencies, exhibitions, and cultural exchange, the Bag Factory remains committed to fostering inclusive spaces where art-making and critical discourse thrive side by side. The Young Womxn Studio Bursary is one of its most vital programmes, providing a stepping-stone for early-career artists to develop their practice in a nurturing, intergenerational community.
The 2024/2025 recipients of the bursary are Nazeerah Jacub and Ndaya Ilunga, whose culminating exhibition A Studio of Their Own reflects the depth and diversity of their practices. Jacub, a painter-sculptor, explores colour and materiality through tactile compositions, while Ilunga, an Afrofuturist surrealist, reimagines the Black experience through abstraction, distortion, and self-portraiture. Though stylistically distinct, both artists share a reverence for nature as a symbol of lineage and a commitment to honouring the embodied experiences of womxn. Their work speaks to the power of artistic space, not just physical, but emotional and ancestral.
I decided to initiate and support this award in 2019 because I realized that there weren’t sufficient black practicing females in the visual art. That prompted me to initiate this award and make a difference. I think the public should then understand why the award is for young black females. I want them at that young age to gain experience and confidence by mingling with seasoned artists at the Bag Factory — Sam Nhlengethwa
In just five years, the bursary has launched the careers of artists such as Nadia Myburgh, Kay-Leigh Fisher, Lebogang Mabusela, Kutlwano Monyai, Princia Matungulu, and inaugural recipient Yolanda Mazwana, whose work now enjoys international acclaim. The impact of the programme is felt not only in the visibility of its alumni, but in the community it fosters. As 2021/2022 awardee Princia Matungulu reflected, “Getting this bursary meant that I didn’t have to worry about studio rent… all that intellect and input really pushed my practice to the edge, so it’s an amazing opportunity truly.”
Applicants can submit their applications online by uploading their portfolios, CVs and motivation letters. Applicants are advised to avoid last-minute rushing as the open call closes on Sunday, 9 November 2025. The selected recipients will be notified on Monday, 24 November and should be able to begin their residency on 1 December 2025.
