Spring 2026 has already delivered a packed art calendar – from FNB Art Joburg to KZN Art Fair, HEAT Arts Festival, Welgemeend Art Month, Open Studios, and CONTRA.joburg. With the season’s big events behind us, it’s the perfect time to slow down, detour off the beaten path, and add an art day trip to your agenda.
September is ideal for exploring art at a more focused pace, discovering places that might otherwise slip off your radar. We’ve curated six standout destinations and experiences, all easily accessible from Cape Town and Johannesburg – two of the continent’s cultural capitals. Beyond established favourites like the Norval Foundation, Spier Arts, and Nirox, these gems deserve a place on your art map.
At each of these stops, you’ll find idyllic settings and unforgettable art.
Everard Read Art Experiences in the Cape
Lovers in the Flowers, 2026
Mixed Media on Canvas
La Ciudad de Los Angeles, 2026
Mixed Media on Canvas
From Franschhoek to Cape Town, Everard Read offers three distinct settings for exploring contemporary African art.
- Leeu Estates: A gallery and monumental sculpture park set among fynbos and vineyards, designed by DHK Architects. The current group show, Gut Feeling, runs until 22 September 2026.
- Huguenot Road: Ten years strong, this gallery presents year-round solo exhibitions. Penelope Stutterheime’s solo exhibition opens on 12 September and runs until 3 October.
- V&A Waterfront, Cape Town: Everard Read hosts dual solo exhibitions – Nigel Mullins’ Manifesto and Beezy Bailey’s Bring on the Dancing Trees (9–30 September 2026).
Ellerman House, Bantry Bay
Step back in time at this classic Edwardian mansion overlooking the Atlantic.
- Art Collection Tours: Guided itineraries of modern and contemporary works, open to guests and non-residents (R1 750 pp).
- Sip & Paint: Intimate art-making afternoons with ocean views and fine wines.
- Curate Restaurant: A refined new dining destination inspired by the hotel’s world-class collection.
The Gallery at Avondale, Paarl
Paarl’s new contemporary art space blends old-world charm, new-world wine, and fresh talent. Open seven days a week, it invites visitors to wander through exhibitions, sip Avondale wine or coffee, and engage with artists’ stories. The atmosphere is warm, welcoming, and conversational.
Joburg Contemporary Art Foundation (JCAF)
Refugee Astronaut X (and in the background, Calculating Empires by Kate Crawford and Vladan Joler.
(c) Graham De Lacy.
For the many who don’t venture further than Sandton, we think leafy Forest Town in old Johannesburg can be considered an art day trip. Since its 2020 launch, JCAF has offered carefully curated exhibitions under a “do less, better” philosophy. Free entry (book online) makes it accessible to all. The current exhibition, Reverse Futures – the third in a trilogy exploring “Worldmaking” – runs until 5 December 2026. JCAF is neither museum nor gallery, but a sustainable cultural institution vital to the arts ecosystem.
Art Club with Strauss & Co
Art Club serves as a platform for new and seasoned art lovers and collectors to come together and engage in meaningful discussions. As Art Club themes are decided closer to each event, check the line-up across all regions and RSVP for an educational, enlightening, and glamorous night out. Items consigned to the auction house often help determine the theme, making each event all the more exciting and relevant. Join Strauss & Co for the Art Club in Cape Town on 1 September 2026 and in Johannesburg on 6 October 2026.
Open Studios Fish Hoek & Clovelly
30+ artists. 20 studios. 3 days.
From 9–11 October 2026, Cape Town’s Deep South opens its doors for a self-guided trail through working studios. Visitors can meet artists, watch their processes, and buy directly from the source. With new hubs such as Mothership Studios and Fish Hoek Studios, the event is growing fast – turning Fish Hoek into the “Joburg art studio by the sea”.
So, what are South Africa’s best art hubs?
While the jury is out on which city is South Africa’s cultural capital, we asked Johannesburg-based author and cultural theorist Ashraf Jamal to weigh in on what he considers South Africa’s best art hubs:
“The finest art hubs in South Africa are the Joburg Contemporary Art Foundation (JCAF) and Nirox. Both operate at a global standard, and both are immune to populism. Neither is a fun-house, a drive-thru for a quick-fix. Both understand the critical importance of art that is imminently vital and not representational. A future art hub/museum in Joburg must understand that nationalism-provincialism is banal, that geographies fold into each other, that art surpasses all the names we affix to it.”
