The South African National Association for the Visual Arts, or SANAVA for short.

Stemming from the Cape Fine Arts Society way back in 1851, we are the oldest, most representative, national non-governmental association that promotes the visual arts in South Africa.

Over the years we became a national body of artists and lovers of the visual arts, proving our resilience despite several war-time situations and challenges of an economic, financial, social and political nature.

Different times also brought different names – in 1871 we were the South African Fine Arts Association, in 1945 the South African Association of Arts and in 1998 we became the South African National Association for the Visual Arts – our name today.

Our quest to promote the visual arts manifests in the administration of three fully equipped artists’ studios in the Cité Internationale des Arts in Paris, France. These were acquired in the early 1990s in terms of an occupational rights agreement, valid till 2060.

Those people who share our passion – the promotion of the visual arts.

These include autonomous branches and affiliated organisations like art galleries, museums, educational institutions and corporate bodies.

We have about 25 autonomous branches and 27 affiliated members. Individual artists are members of a SANAVA branch.

We are registered as a non-governmental organisation with the Department of Social Development and as a public benefit organisation with the South African Revenue Service.

We are also a member of the International Association of Art – a non-governmental organisation of UNESCO – with its head office in Paris, France.