What is seen, what is hidden, and what is revealed when you take a moment to reflect? What will your artwork reveal about the world or yourself?
Reflections offer a powerful way to explore duality, introspection, and the interplay between light and shadow. The theme "Reflections" invites you to delve into the literal and metaphorical meanings of the word—whether capturing mirrored surfaces, contemplating personal experiences, or examining how the world around us shapes our inner selves.
We invite you to enter the Stellenbosch Academy Visual Art Competition, and show South Africa what you’ve got.
Now is your time to shine.
WHAT YOU’LL WIN…
-
✺
The overall winner will receive:
• A cash prize of R25,000
• Full Tuition Sponsorship for the Higher Certificate in Drawing NQF5 programme at the Stellenbosch Academy
• Apple iPad 9 256Gb and Apple Pencil (USB-C)
• R2500 Deckle Edge store voucher
-
✺
The 2nd prize winner will receive:
• A cash prize of R10,000
• Apple AirPods (3rd Generation) with Lightning Charging Case
• R1500 Deckle Edge store voucher
-
✺
The 3rd prize winner will receive:
• A cash prize of R5000
• R1000 Deckle Edge store voucher
-
✺
School Prize:
The school that submits the most entries will receive R5000 in PNA vouchers for art materials.
TOP SELECTION
The top selection will be invited to participate in an exhibition at the Stellenbosch Academy of Design and Photography in the Western Cape and attend an exhibition opening and prize ceremony in October 2025. Final exhibition dates will be communicated via the website.
The top selection of works will also be published in the 2025 Stellenbosch Academy Visual Arts Competition Catalogue.
COMPETITION DETAILS
COMPETITION DETAILS
ENTRIES OPEN
1 May 2025 at 9:00
ENTRIES CLOSE
21 June 2025 at 17h00
✺ RULES & REGULATIONS ✺
-
The competition is open to all Grade 10 to 12 students who are permanently resident in South Africa.
-
Entries should be submitted online at the SAVAC submission link from 09:00 on 1 May 2025 to 17:00 on 1 June 2025.
-
Works may not be smaller than A3 (29.7 cm x 42 cm) and may not be larger than 100cm wide x 150cm height.
-
Multiple entries are allowed. One entry per artwork. R100 entry fee per artwork.
-
The work must be two-dimensional, such as a drawing or painting. No sculptures, photographs or AI and digital artworks will be allowed.
-
Two-dimensional artworks in any medium are welcome, and do not necessarily need to be traditional drawing or painting mediums.
-
A submitted artwork must have been created by the entrant themselves and must be their own original work.
-
Work previously submitted for other competitions or exhibitions may not be entered.
-
Upload a copy of your ID (or passport/driver’s license) and proof of payment with your digital entry form.
-
In the first round, judges will review the digital entries and select the top works. Chosen artists will be notified via phone, email, or WhatsApp.
-
If your work has been selected during the First Round, you will need to arrange the delivery of your artwork at your own cost to arrive at the Stellenbosch Academy of Design and Photography. You can hand-deliver your work to the Stellenbosch Academy of Design and Photography in person or send your artwork with a courier of your choice.
-
After the exhibition closes you will be responsible for collecting your artworks at your own cost from the Stellenbosch Academy of Design.
-
More information and updates will be made available on this website.
EXISTING WORKS ARE WELCOME!
We have deliberately chosen a theme that is open to any interpretation. This is to invite your own reflection on the world rather than confining you to a particular topic or theme. This is also to minimize barriers to entry in the competition as we encourage you to submit successful artworks that you have already created in the past. You thus do not need to produce new artworks for this competition and you can submit any artworks produced within the last two years.
ASSESSMENT CRITERIA
Our judges will be evaluating your work on two main criteria:
Technical Drawing Ability: Successful use of the elements of art, design principles to create successful compositions
Conceptual Strength: An artist’s statement of 250 words describing the meaning, message and intended impact of your work.
BANKING DETAILS
ACCOUNT NAME: Stellenbosch Academy of Design and Photography Pty Ltd
BANK NAME AND BRANCH: ABSA Stellenbosch
ACCOUNT NUMBER: 4055051024
BRANCH CODE: 632005
REFERENCE: SAVAC, Initials & Surname (eg: SAVAC B FASSLER)
