Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (Zeitz MOCAA) and the University of the Western Cape (UWC) are pleased to announce the open call for the 2026 Museum Fellowship Programme. We invite aspiring contemporary art and museum professionals in Africa, who are ready to shape the future of curatorial practice and arts research across the African continent and beyond, to join this transformative year-long journey. The closing date for applications is 30 June 2025. Only the first 100 applications will be considered. Successful applicants will be contacted by 4 August 2025.

The Zeitz MOCAA and UWC Museum Fellowship Programme is a pan-African programme which contributes towards the enrichment of Africa’s dynamic art and heritage ecology. It centres on contemporary art, curatorial practice, art education, conservation, heritage and museology in Africa and its Diaspora. The programme offers fellows exposure to contemporary art museum practice facilitated by Zeitz MOCAA senior staff in the Curatorial, Registrar & Collection Management, Exhibition Design, Art Education, and Institutional Advancement departments. Fellows actively contribute to the research, planning, execution, and management of Zeitz MOCAA projects, ranging from exhibitions, publishing and public programming to art education and fundraising. The programme is underpinned by academic rigour in art, heritage, and museum scholarship facilitated by the UWC’s Department of Historical Studies. .

Launched in 2022, the museum fellowship programme is co-convened by Dr Greer Valley, Senior Curator & Head of Curatorial Affairs at Zeitz MOCAA, and Prof Rory Bester in the Department of Historical Studies at UWC. Zeitz MOCAA is proud to once again join hands with the University of the Western Cape to nurture a new generation of art and museum professionals from across the continent.

Dr Greer Valley: “The fellowship programme offers fellows exposure to museum practice facilitated by Zeitz MOCAA senior staff and is underpinned by academic rigour in art, heritage, and museum scholarship facilitated by the UWC’s Department of Historical Studies. The fellows will study and work with both institutions towards an accredited postgraduate degree, taking courses in historiography, curatorship, museology and public history.”

Prof Rory Bester: “UWC’s innovative and engaging curriculum, coupled with the first-hand experience and insight gained at a world-class museum such as Zeitz MOCAA, offers fellows an intellectually rich exploration of the fundamental networks and systems that contribute towards the continent’s art and heritage ecosystem.”

Dr Valley and Prof Bester will lead the pan-African Fellowship Recruitment Drive for the 2026 Zeitz MOCAA and UWC Museum Fellowship Programme from 24 April to 8 May 2025. They will be visiting G.A.S. (Guest Artist Space) in Lagos, Nigeria; Palais de Lomé in Lomé, Togo; Fondation Zinsou in Cotonou and School of African Heritage in Porto Novo, Benin; as well as SOMETHING Art Space in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. The Fellowship Recruitment engagements offer insights into this collaborative fellowship, designed to nurture emerging talent within museum practice, curatorship, and critical research on the continent. The session includes presentations by both convenors, an interactive panel discussion featuring a local practitioner, and an open Q&A. Prospective applicants will gain valuable information about fellowship objectives, experiences, and the application process.

Prospective applicants are also invited to join the Co-convenors for a live Q&A session on Thursday, 29 May 2025 at 6 PM – 6.45 PM (SAST) on Zeitz MOCAA’s social media platforms –  Instagram, Facebook and Spaces (X) – where they will answer various questions ahead of the application deadline on 30 June 2025.

The programme dedicates three full days a week to Zeitz MOCAA work, while the remaining two days are for UWC studies. It is ideal for individuals who are interested in further developing their careers in art museums, galleries, art centres, private and public collection management, biennials, art publishing, art festivals and related fields. The programme covers tuition, accommodation, basic health insurance and a monthly stipend. Travel and visa costs are not included.

Successful applicants will be expected to participate in the full 12-month study programme on a full-time basis starting February 2026 and ending in January 2027. Eligible applicants will preferably hold a bachelor’s degree in art, heritage or museum studies or other relevant humanities field, with a demonstrated capacity to work at a postgraduate level; knowledge of contemporary art and heritage from Africa and the African Diaspora; excellent writing skills; 2-3 years of relevant work experience; citizenship of an African country; and proficiency in English.

Zeitz MOCAA continues to position itself as a civic space — as an active agent that caters to and nurtures society. As a site for public dialogue, exhibitions, research and collection, the institution promotes narratives that are essential to the construction of our societies. The museum is a site for the conversations, debates, and storytelling that contemporary art enables.

The University of the Western Cape (UWC) is an internationally acclaimed higher education institution rooted in local political liberation histories and has established itself as a premier institution for quality education as well as a site that nurtures the growth of a future generation of thinkers. It is committed to excellence in teaching, learning and research, and responding in critical and creative ways to the needs of a society in constant flux.

Both Zeitz MOCAA and the University of the Western Cape (UWC) celebrate diversity in all its forms, including gender, ethnicity, and sexual orientation.

The Zeitz MOCAA & UWC Museum Fellowship Programme is presented in partnership with the University of the Western Cape and generously supported by the Mellon Foundation.

Interested applicants may complete the Application Form for the 2026 Zeitz MOCAA & UWC Museum Fellowship Programme or for more information on the application process, please email submissions@zeitzmocaa.museum.