Business and Arts South Africa (BASA) showcases the first cohort of projects funded through its Supporting Grants Programme 2.0, a reimagined funding model designed to catalyse business–arts co-creation through prototype partnerships and innovation-led experimentation.
The selected projects reflect BASA’s shift from traditional grantmaking towards catalytic support for small-scale, time-bound initiatives that test bold ideas at the intersection of creativity, commerce, and social impact.
Together, they demonstrate how targeted seed funding can unlock scalable models, deepen cross-sector collaboration, and strengthen the creative economy’s contribution to innovation and inclusive growth.
The programme reflects a deliberate shift towards building systems of collaboration rather than isolated interventions:
“Supporting Grants Programme 2.0 is designed to move beyond traditional funding models and towards catalytic partnerships that test, prototype, and unlock investable ideas. These projects demonstrate what becomes possible when creativity and business are intentionally brought into alignment to solve shared challenges and build new economic value.”
— Sipho Mthiyane, Supporting Grants Officer, Business and Arts South Africa (BASA)
The Supporting Grants Programme 2.0 places emphasis on strategic alignment, mutual value creation, and experimentation. Rather than supporting standalone activities, the programme funds prototype partnerships that explore new ways of working between creatives and business partners.
These projects are designed as proof-of-concept initiatives testing ideas that can evolve into investable, scalable models with long-term sector impact.
Funded Projects Driving Cross-Sector Innovation
CineSync.Africa
A digital marketplace connecting African filmmakers, writers, and producers with international buyers, distributors, co-producers, and investors. The platform uses AI-powered matchmaking to connect talent and projects based on demand, skills, and production needs, while also exploring blockchain-enabled rights and transaction tracking to improve transparency and trust in the creative sector.
Echoes & Enterprise
A creative market and cultural platform that brings together artisans, creatives, and entrepreneurs in a curated, community-centred environment. The project supports women-led creative businesses while activating underutilised spaces in partnership with property development stakeholders, transforming them into temporary cultural and economic hubs.
Art in the Sky
A public digital art initiative that transforms outdoor LED billboards into large-scale exhibition platforms for contemporary artists. First implemented in Emalahleni, Mpumalanga, the project expands access to digital art in public spaces while demonstrating how commercial media infrastructure can be repurposed for cultural expression.
Hybrid Art Spaces
A pilot project reimagining exhibition-making through a hybrid model that combines physical pop-up exhibitions in vacant spaces with digital extensions. The inaugural exhibition, HOME, featured contemporary artists exploring memory, identity and belonging, while testing a scalable model for accessible, low-cost exhibition formats.
Stories in the Grass
South Africa’s first augmented reality (AR) pilot in a nature reserve, blending art, conservation, and education. The project enables visitors to interact with animated plant and animal life via mobile devices, supported by educational content, immersive audio, and AR navigation tools that enhance environmental learning.
ResetHer Author Programme
A storytelling and publishing initiative supporting emerging writers, particularly women from rural communities, in transforming lived experiences into published books. The programme provides end-to-end support from writing development through to publication and public storytelling.
Studio Yezi – Textile & Animation Research Project
A cross-disciplinary research initiative exploring the intersection of animation, storytelling, and textile design. The project translates narrative and visual storytelling principles into woven textile forms through sampling, prototyping, and material experimentation.
Phephanepeni – Trash to Talent Project
Trash to Talent is a three-month youth programme combining environmental action and creative expression. Participants lead community clean-ups, collect recyclable materials, and transform waste into craft items, costumes, props, and sets for a community theatre production, Zweli and the Lemon Tree. The project culminates in a mini-festival featuring the performance, a recycled fashion show, and creative exhibitions promoting environmental awareness.
ASSITEJ SA – Co-operative Market for Extramural Service Providers
In partnership with ILALI, this initiative develops a digital marketplace for arts-based after-school and extracurricular services. The platform enables families and schools to discover, book, and pay for creative learning experiences, while increasing visibility and income opportunities for service providers. Built on cooperative principles such as Ubuntu Rewards and shared ownership, the pilot positions ASSITEJ SA and ILALI at the intersection of arts, education, and technology.
Nzambaneng Film Production – StoryBirthday World: Puppets & Stories Festival
StoryBirthday World is a playful literacy and storytelling initiative that transforms children’s party décor into immersive story environments.
In partnership with One27One Events, themed storytelling zones will be created using puppets, décor, and short printed stories that children can collect and read. The project’s core aim is to make reading accessible and engaging for children in rural and underserved communities while empowering young storytellers and creatives through collaboration, performance, and design.
The Supporting Grants Programme 2.0 is designed to strengthen long-term partnerships between creatives and businesses through co-creation, alignment, and mutual benefit. It enables businesses to test innovative ideas while supporting creatives to develop sustainable, investment-ready models.
Over time, these collaborations are intended to evolve into pipelines for growth, funding, and expanded creative enterprise development.
