August 2025, Durban, South Africa – Thanks to the generous sponsorship of Rand Mutual Assurance (RMA), the RMA Young Artists’ Project Exhibition (YAP) is BACK …and will take place at the KwaZulu-Natal Society of Arts (KZNSA) Gallery in Glenwood, Durban from
22 August – 21 September 2025. The KZNSA, a not-for-profit organisation, is a highly regarded contemporary art space with a longstanding reputation as a vital incubator for emerging artists in KZN, contributing significantly to the broader national and global artistic ecosystem.
Initiated in 2002, by then KZNSA curator Storm Janse van Rensburg, The Young Artists’ Project ‘came out of a desire to create some kind of energy around young artists in the city, to get an ecosystem going around young artists, along with the writing workshop with young writers’. The project was initiated as an annual project designed to stimulate a ‘next generation’ of artists, by creating an experimental component to the NSA Gallery exhibitions programme, where invited young artists annually work closely with a curator to produce their first solo. The YAP was revived in 2020 and, thanks to the financial support from Rand Mutual Assurance, is once again on the Gallery’s calendar for 2025.
While Durban’s art-loving public will have an opportunity to share in the work of this year’s talented intake during the exhibition period, the project primarily provides a platform for the support of young artists in conceptualising and producing new work. It facilitates mentorship and knowledge exchange between established and emerging artists, encourages critical thinking, peer to peer feedback, and artistic risk-taking, and guides artists in preparing professional material.
The exhibition will officially open on Friday 22 August and the artists will host Walkabouts on Saturday 23 August from 10:00 to 12:00, which are free, and open to the public. In addition, there will be opportunities for school and university groups to visit the gallery and meet with the featured artists, on a ‘By Appointment’ basis.
“By investing in the Young Artists’ Project Exhibition at the KZNSA, Rand Mutual Assurance will be directly contributing to the growth of the arts in KZN and South Africa as whole, fostering creativity, innovation and cultural development,” says KZNSA Gallery Administrator, Azola Krweqe.
This year’s Young Artists’ Project edition includes two (2) early career artists and four (4) aspirant writers, all of whom will receive support to realise their inaugural exhibitions and mentorship to develop their skills, contributing to the broader cultural discourse and leading to increased sales and visibility, significantly enhancing their careers.
– ARTISTS – N’lamwai Luntha Chithambo and Zama Mwandla
– WRITERS – Sneziwe Mahlalela, Ladia Kasimu, Mbusi Nhlakanipho Mzolo, Thobekile Nontando Kweyama (See full Bios below)
“The RMA Young Artists’ Project is a critical initiative that will not only support the development of emerging artists in KZN and South Africa but also contribute to the sustainability of the local and national art ecosystem,” adds Angela Shaw, K`NSA Acting Director. “Durban is known for its ability to incubate creative talent but it is common for creatives to leave the region to find opportunities elsewhere.”
“KZNSA is invested in retaining talent in the region and seeks to facilitate career advancement for artists via solo exhibitions and art fairs, and the related industry validation, visibility and sales these generate.”
For more information Contact:
- Azola Krweqe: Gallery Administrator
- kznsagallery@gmail.com
- Tel: 031 277 1705
- https://kznsagallery.co.za/
MORE ABOUT…THE SELECTED CREATIVES
ARTISTS
* N’lamwai Luntha Chithambo was born in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1997 to Malawian parents. In 2019, Chithambo completed a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree at Rhodes University with distinction in Fine Art Practice and in 2023 he completed a Master of Fine Art degree, also at Rhodes University. During the period of his undergraduate and postgraduate studies he twice featured in the Thami Mnyele Fine Arts Awards Top 100 Exhibition (2019, 2022) as well as displayed his work at the National Arts Festival in Makhanda (2016, 2019, 2023). In 2023, two of his paintings were selected for the Sasol New Signatures Finalist Exhibition at Pretoria Art Museum. Chithambo has also shown work in group exhibitions hosted by BAG Factory Artist Studios (2023, 2024) in Johannesburg and has featured in a group exhibition hosted by Origin Art Gallery (2024) also in Johannesburg. Chithambo currently resides in Johannesburg where he is pursuing his passion for the arts.
* Zama Mwandla was born in Newcastle, KwaZulu-Natal in 2000. Zama is a South African surrealist painter whose bold, narrative-driven oil paintings confront the psychological aftermath of rape and the complex journey toward healing. Drawing from her own traumatic experience as a rape survivor, Mwandla creates fantastical yet hauntingly visceral worlds where hybrid human-creatures symbolize mental breakdowns, sinful behaviour, and the fragile path to recovery.
Influenced by Baroque art, Japanese erotic art, and psychological anime, her vividly graphic works depict utopian dreamscapes that both soothe and disturb. These visual worlds offer solace to survivors while compelling viewers—particularly men—to confront the uncomfortable realities of sexual violence. Her characters, often female or ambiguous in form, embody different phases of trauma, healing, and the emotional futility of revenge. Themes of violence, memory, and redemption are central to her practice.
Mwandla earned a BAFA with Honours from the University of the Witwatersrand under the mentorship of Professor Sharlene Khan, receiving several academic awards for her work. She has exhibited in both local and international platforms, including the African Feminisms (Afems) exhibition (2019) and the 54th Art & Antique Fair in Salzburg, Austria (2023). Her paintings are held in prominent collections such as the Schuetz Art Museum (Austria) and the Amawal Collection (Spain). In addition to her studio practice, Mwandla collaborated with the AfrikaBurn Organisation in Cape Town, assisting in the development of their first Visual Art Residency Programme.
WRITERS
* Sneziwe Mahlalela is an intern at the KZNSA Gallery through the initiative funded by ArtBank. He studied at the Durban University of Technology, earning both a Diploma and an Advanced Diploma in Fine Arts. He is an artist, writer, and creative based in Durban. His work explores colonial and post-colonial histories, and the in-between spaces where culture, creativity, and cities overlap, especially in his hometown of Durban. He took part in Power Talks, where he shared a reading that reflected his passion for cultural conversations. He has also worked with KZNSA artresearchlab, contributing to collaborative, research-led projects that look at how art engages with urban life and social change. Through both his art and writing, Snesizwe stays curious about history, identity, and the ways creativity can transform everyday spaces.
* Ladia Kasimu is a poet, creative collaborator and a lover of creative art expression based in Glenwood, Durban. She hosted her first poetry open mic in 2021 at the KZN Art Gallery and named it Soul-ville. The name was inspired by the phrase “it takes a village to raise a child.” Soul-ville is that village, a space where artists, through various forms of expression, connect on a soul level. We bare our truths, share our work, and grow together. It’s more than an event, it’s a community rooted in creative vulnerability.
“Poetry is where my creative journey began. It taught me to observe deeply, express truthfully, and find meaning in both the spoken and the unspoken. As someone who writes, performs, curates small creative gatherings, and attends countless artistic events, I experience art from both the artist’s and the audience’s point of view. I understand the intimacy of creating, and the wonder of witnessing. That dual lens shapes how I respond to creative work, with empathy, attentiveness, and insight.”
Ladia is actively involved in the Durban arts scene, performing at Time of the Writer, attending Poetry Africa and the Durban International Film Festival, and supporting exhibitions at the BAT Centre and KZN Art Gallery.
* Mbusi Nhlakanipho Mzolo is a communications and creative practitioner with a keen interest in people, media, art, design, and a range of other complementary subjects and ideas. Through the convergence of multidisciplinary thinking and making, he aims to find the best ways of communicating ideas.
He holds a BA in Media & Writing and Politics from UCT. As a serial scholar with an interest in the human condition he is consistently evolving his skillset and expanding his frame of reference through formal and informal means. His other qualifications include certificates in Screenwriting, and Business Development.
* Thobekile Nontando Kweyama, is a passionate emerging creative whose work bridges the worlds of art, writing, and design to promote inclusivity, cultural heritage, and human-centred aesthetics. I believe in the transformative power of creativity to challenge norms, reclaim narratives, and build spaces – both digital and physical – where people feel seen, heard, and included. She currently serves as Co-director, Assistant Designer, and Project Manager at Vula Vala Creations, a socially conscious enterprise that designs innovative, accessible products – most notably, inclusive door handles for the visually impaired. Through this work, diversity, accessibility, and dignity for all users is championed. In recognition of this impact, Thobekile was selected as one of UKZN’s Social Entrepreneurs for 2025, receiving a year-long mentorship to grow the enterprise’s contribution to inclusive innovation.
In 2024,Thobekile was named a Top 10 finalist in the HP Gaming Garage Design Competition for an educational heritage-based game – ‘an experience’, she says, ‘that deepened my passion for using interactive media to tell stories and promote cultural connection’. As a visual artist, critical writer, and former Higher Health peer educator, her creative practice centres around identity, access, and healing. “Whether I’m designing tactile tools, developing inclusive games, or writing about the power of design, I remain committed to using art as a tool for empathy, empowerment, and positive change.
MORE ABOUT …THE KWAZULU-NATAL SOCIETY OF ARTS (KZNSA):
The KZNSA is a non-profit organisation based in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal whose vision is to be a highly regarded contemporary art space that engages its complex and diverse community with socially relevant concepts for the support and development of artists and culture production. It is also a registered Public Benefit organisation with 18A status with a longstanding reputation as a vital incubator for emerging artists in KZN.
Operating within a challenging and underfunded art landscape, the organisation plays a crucial role in nurturing talent and providing much-needed opportunities for exposure and professional development. The KZNSA offers a platform for early-career artists to exhibit their work, engage with the public, and connect with more established figures in the art world. It is currently the only contemporary exhibition space in the city of Durban that can accommodate the needs of early career artists as well as more established mid-late-career artists. Despite the financial challenges that negatively impact the local art scene, KZNSA remains committed to fostering creativity and innovation, ensuring that the voices of artists are heard, and their work is seen.
Video: RAND MUTUAL ASSURANCE YOUNG ARTISTS’ PROGRAMME EXHIBITION: NURTURING YOUNG TALENT AT THE KZNSA:
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Alan Straton
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