Media release
(CAPE TOWN, Tuesday, 7 April 2026): In February, Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (Zeitz MOCAA) and the University of the Western Cape (UWC) welcomed four fellows from across the African continent to participate in this year’s cycle of the Zeitz MOCAA & UWC Museum Fellowship Programme.
The pan-African museum fellowship programme centres on contemporary art, curatorial practice, art education, conservation, heritage, and museology in Africa and its diaspora. Designed to nurture critical praxis and scholarly engagement, the programme supports the development of a new generation of art and museum professionals to work across the continent and beyond.
The 2026 cohort consists of Bengi Rwabuhemba, a Ugandan writer and cultural anthropologist whose research focuses on the contemporary revitalisation of Indigenous knowledge in postcolonial African societies; Mawadah Nofal, an Egyptian researcher, writer and artist interested in alternative knowledge production, community building, and the politics of space; Reem Aljeally, a Sudanese artist whose multifaceted practice, integrating work integrates architecture, visual arts, and curation, is intrigued by questions of identity formation in social contexts and the spaces we inhabit, as well as what forms the Sudanese contemporary scene; and Rohini Amratlal, a South African contemporary artist and curator whose work in tapestry, print, sculpture, and installation engages questions of identity, memory, and lived experience in post-apartheid South Africa.
Launched in 2022, the programme is co-convened by Dr Greer Valley, Senior Curator and 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 partner with UWC to advance knowledge production and professional training within the arts and heritage sectors. Now in its fifth year, the programme reflects a sustained and impactful collaboration dedicated to cultivating critical exploration, skills development, and emerging professional practice across the continent. Alumni of the programme have continued into roles across cultural institutions, pursued postgraduate study at Master’s and PhD levels, undertaken international fellowships, and contributed to published research, reflecting the programme’s ongoing role in supporting the development of arts and heritage practitioners.
‘It is a privilege to welcome the 2026 cohort to the Zeitz MOCAA & UWC Museum Fellowship Programme. This group of fellows brings with them a rich diversity of practices, research interests, and lived experiences that reflect the complexity of contemporary artistic and cultural production on the continent. Through sustained engagement with museum practice and scholarly inquiry, the programme offers a critical space for thinking, making, and working within the institution, while imagining new futures for museums in Africa,’ says Dr Greer Valley.
Professor Rory Bester adds: ‘UWC’s interdisciplinary curriculum, combined with the immersive, hands-on experience offered by a leading contemporary art museum such as Zeitz MOCAA, provides fellows with a rigorous intellectual framework for understanding the systems, histories, and networks that shape Africa’s art and heritage landscape. The fellowship remains a vital platform for research-led practice and critical engagement.’
Fellows gain practical work experience and mentorship at Zeitz MOCAA across the Curatorial, Registrar & Collection Management, Exhibition Design, Art Education, and Institutional Advancement departments. Following an initial orientation and rotation period, each fellow is placed within a single department of their choice. Here they actively contribute to the research, planning, execution, and management of exhibitions, publications, public programming, education initiatives and fundraising campaigns.
In parallel, fellows complete a postgraduate degree at UWC, undertaking coursework in historiography, curatorship, museology, and public history, as well as a research project. The programme is underpinned by academic rigour and critical scholarship, fostering sustained dialogue between theory and practice.
The cohort punctuates their fellowship by collaborating on a shared project that responds to Zeitz MOCAA’s exhibition and research programme, culminating in public programming and a symposium centred on their individual research outputs developed as part of their university studies. This year the fellows will focus on publishing as a curatorial, educational, and institutional method through the inaugural Zeitz MOCAA Publishing Atelier –an artist-led, joint studio residency, a publicly accessible reading room and open library, and critical discursive programme.
Follow the journey of the 2026 Zeitz MOCAA & UWC Museum Fellowship cohort via Zeitz MOCAA’s website, official social media channels, and newsletter.
Zeitz MOCAA and UWC are also pleased to announce the open call for the 2027 Museum Fellowship Programme, inviting aspiring contemporary art and museum professionals in Africa to join this transformative year-long journey. The closing date for applications is Tuesday, 30 June 2026. Only the first 100 applications will be considered. Successful applicants will be contacted by Monday, 3 August 2026.
The Zeitz MOCAA & UWC Museum Fellowship Programme is presented in partnership with the University of the Western Cape and is generously supported by the Mellon Foundation.
Image credit: Ramiie G, courtesy of Zeitz MOCAA.
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Issued by Zeitz MOCAA Communications
About Zeitz MOCAA
Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (Zeitz MOCAA) is a public not-for-profit institution that collects, preserves, researches and exhibits contemporary art from Africa and its diaspora; conceives and hosts international exhibitions; develops supporting educational, discursive and enrichment programmes; encourages intercultural understanding; and ensures access for all. The museum’s galleries feature rotating temporary exhibitions with dedicated space for the permanent collection. The institution also includes the BMW Centre for Art Education, and the Koyo Kouoh Atelier, a museum residency programme for artists living and working in Cape Town.
Zeitz MOCAA, situated at the Silo District, South Arm Road, V&A Waterfront in Cape Town, South Africa, is open Monday through Sunday, 10 am – 6 pm (last entry at 5.30 pm). zeitzmocaa.museum
About the University of the Western Cape (UWC)
The University of the Western Cape (UWC) was founded in 1960 and occupies a unique space in the South African higher education landscape. It is a dynamic institution committed to excellence in learning, teaching, research and innovation in a globally competitive environment whilst remaining true to the values and ethos that have shaped its identity as a university rooted in serving the public good. uwc.ac.za
About The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation
The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation is the United States’ largest supporter of the arts and humanities. Since 1969, the Foundation has been guided by its core belief that the humanities and arts are essential to human understanding. The Foundation believes that the arts and humanities are where we express our complex humanity and that everyone deserves the beauty, transcendence and freedom that can be found there. Through our grants, we seek to build just communities enriched by meaning and empowered by critical thinking, where ideas and imagination can thrive. Learn more at mellon.org.