Province-wide learners exhibit at Mbombela Art Gallery
The Mbombela Art Gallery hosted the Mpumalanga Department of Education’s 22nd annual Visual Arts and Design Competition from 3 to 7 August, drawing Grade 10 to 12 learners from across the province. The exhibition presented a range of works that combined science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics themes with social commentary and contemporary design approaches.
The initiative provided learners with an opportunity to develop their artistic practice and receive critical and professional feedback — a particularly important process for pupils from schools without formal art or design subjects. The competition showcased both conventional visual art pieces and design works, including submissions from learners who do not take design formally.
Winners and categories
Prize-giving took place on 4 August. Among the category winners were:
- Formal visual art schooling: Madri van Niekerk (Hoërskool Ermelo)
- Non-formal visual art schooling: Alex Khumalo (Mhlume Senior Secondary, Clau-Clau)
- Formal design schooling: Demi Claeys (HTS Middelburg)
- Non-formal design schooling: Tineke van Dyk (HTS Middelburg) — who entered despite not taking design as a subject
Access to subjects remains uneven
Figures included in the department’s report underline persistent gaps in subject availability at Further Education and Training level (Grades 10–12). Currently, 12 schools in Mpumalanga offer visual arts as a subject, while nine schools offer design studies.
| Subject | Number of schools offering it (FET phase) |
|---|---|
| Visual arts | 12 |
| Design studies | 9 |
The competition forms part of a broader effort to promote curriculum redress, the department said, encouraging previously disadvantaged schools to adopt visual art and design subjects so that more learners can benefit from formal training and tertiary pathways in creative industries.
Broad participation but local concentration of programmes
The exhibition included entries from learners at a range of schools across Mpumalanga. Some named participants and schools included learners from Hoërskool Secunda, Shobiyane Secondary School (notably clay work by Sfiso Mkhonza and group entries from learners such as Hlulani Monareng, Walter Sibuyi and Fikile Makhubela), Penryn College in Mbombela (Nkosazane Jele) and Shobiyane Secondary’s Believe Mashile from Acornhoek.
While the event drew participants province-wide, the limited number of schools offering the subjects highlights that many learners can only access creative disciplines through extra-mural activities, workshops or non-formal pathways. The department’s competition aims to bridge that gap by giving learners in non-formal contexts the chance to compete and to be seen.
Local cultural infrastructure and opportunities
Hosting the competition at the Mbombela Art Gallery underlines the role of civic cultural spaces in providing exposure for young artists and connecting school programmes with public audiences. For Mbombela, events such as this add to the city’s cultural calendar and can bolster cultural tourism and local creative economies if access to subjects and training expands over time.
The exhibition also served as a networking and learning opportunity: learners were able to receive critique and engage with professional perspectives that are not always available in schools, particularly in remote areas. The department framed the event as a step toward ensuring that previously disadvantaged schools can implement visual arts and design in the FET phase in the future.
Photographs from the exhibition captured a range of approaches and media, from traditional painting and clay work to contemporary design pieces. The competition, now in its 22nd year, continues to be an important forum for young creatives in Mpumalanga.
