Johannesburg artist Sphumelele Zondi wins Sasol New Signatures Visual Arts Competition 2026

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The Johannesburg-based sculptor and mixed-media artist takes South Africa’s top prize for emerging visual artists with her powerful work, The Laundry of a Nation

South Africa’s next generation of artistic talent has found a standout voice.

Johannesburg-based visual artist Sphumelele Zondi (26) has been crowned the overall winner of the Sasol New Signatures Visual Arts Competition 2026 for her striking mixed-media artwork, The Laundry of a Nation.

The prestigious award comes with a R100,000 cash prize and the opportunity to present a solo exhibition at the Pretoria Art Museum in 2027.

A powerful reflection on South Africa’s shared history

Originally from KwaZulu-Natal and now based in Johannesburg, Zondi works across sculpture and mixed media. Her artistic practice explores memory, inherited narratives and the connections between past and present.

Holding a Bachelor of Visual Arts from the University of KwaZulu-Natal and a Postgraduate Diploma in Fine Art from the Durban University of Technology, she has built a practice rooted in personal and collective histories.

Her winning piece examines how young South Africans carry the emotional weight of the nation’s past through everyday objects.

In The Laundry of a Nation, clothing becomes more than fabric. It becomes a symbol of labour, survival, memory and resilience.

The work draws on the visual language of domesticity, repetition and shared experience to show how national histories continue to live within ordinary lives.

“This was my first time entering the competition,” said Zondi.

“What prompted me to enter Sasol New Signatures was the incredible opportunities and exposure it provides to young emerging artists.”

She explained that she first discovered the competition during her university years and decided this was the right moment to put her work forward.

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A record of emerging South African talent

This year’s competition attracted 938 submissions from eight collection points across South Africa.

Only 123 artworks advanced to the final round and earned a place in the 2026 exhibition at the Pretoria Art Museum.

Sasol has sponsored the competition for 36 years, helping emerging South African artists gain recognition and develop their careers.

“Sasol New Signatures has provided a vital platform for emerging artists to share their perspectives, challenge convention and take the next step in their creative journeys,” said Nozipho Mlambo, Sasol’s Senior Manager for Group Brand and Sponsorships.

She added that supporting creativity encourages dialogue, inspires new ways of thinking and helps people better understand one another.

Meet the 2026 Sasol New Signatures winners

Runner-up

Sive Ntombana (23) from Makhanda received the R25,000 runner-up prize for Umlandeli.

Currently completing a Master of Fine Arts at Rhodes University, Ntombana’s work explores trauma in the rural Eastern Cape through traditional Xhosa visual references, including ingcawe blankets and naturally collected ochres linked to the mural painting practice of ukusula.

Merit Award winners

Each Merit Award recipient received R10,000.

1. Charlie de Bruto (Pretoria): Ball Buster (2026) – Mixed media

2. Inga Lokwe (Pretoria): Qula Kwedini (2025) – Glass, metal and wood

3. Wisani Manyisi (Johannesburg): Dance of Memory (2026) – Mixed media on paper

4. Thomas Masingi (Polokwane): The Desire to Become One Series (2025) – Digital photography on true ivory

5. Charné Mungur (Gqeberha): Echoes of Silence (2025) – Steel

Why Sphumelele Zondi’s winning artwork stood out

Sasol New Signatures Chairperson Pfunzo Sidogi described The Laundry of a Nation as an outstanding example of how emerging artists are confronting life’s biggest questions through contemporary art.

He praised this year’s finalists for creating work that is playful, restorative, challenging and deeply reflective.

Sidogi also thanked the regional and national judging panels for their contribution to South Africa’s visual arts sector.

When and where to see the Sasol New Signatures exhibition

Art lovers can experience the winning work alongside all 123 finalists at the Pretoria Art Museum.

The exhibition runs from 10 September to 8 November 2026.

Visitors can also view Die Vallei van Adem, the solo exhibition by 2025 winner Juandré van Eck, while the full competition catalogue and a virtual exhibition are available online.

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