INITIATIVES.
BMW COLLECTORS CO.
Building on the Young Collectors’ Co. platform, BMW has introduced the BMW Collectors Co., aimed at established patrons aged 40–50 who have the vision to enhance their engagement with contemporary art. This premium network provides exclusive access to artists, rare artworks and curated cultural experiences that transcend the ordinary. Members are encouraged to refine their collections, expand their networks, and make meaningful contributions to the cultural landscape, thereby strengthening the connection between established collectors and the next generation of art enthusiasts.
BMW YOUNG COLLECTORS CO.
BMW South Africa, in partnership with FNB Art Joburg, created the BMW Young Collectors’ Co. to ignite a new wave of art collectors shaping the cultural future of South Africa. This invitation-only network brings together dynamic entrepreneurs, innovators, and leaders under 40, granting insider access to the country’s most influential artists, galleries, and cultural institutions. Through intimate studio visits, private collection tours, exclusive previews, and curated talks with industry experts, members gain insight and confidence to navigate the art world, diversify the collector base, and invest in and protect South Africa’s cultural heritage.
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EVENTS.
The BMW Collectors co.
BMW South Africa is a dedicated supporter of the arts, actively engaging in iconic collaborations and innovative cultural initiatives.
The brand, known for its design excellence and forward-thinking approach, plays a significant role in the country's creative landscape. By amplifying diverse voices, preserving heritage, and fostering new artistic dialogues. BMW reaffirms its belief that the arts reflect society and shape its future.
The BMW Young Collectors Co.
BMW South Africa, in partnership with FNB Art Joburg, launched the BMW Young Collectors’ Co. to inspire a new generation of art collectors under 40 by providing exclusive access to top artists, galleries, and cultural events. The network offers intimate studio visits, private tours, and expert talks to empower members to confidently invest in South Africa’s cultural heritage.
Follow us @bmwyoungcollectorsco to stay connected and be part of the future of South African art.
The BMW Art Generation
On August 30, 2025, the BMW Art Generation Vol. III returned to NIROX Sculpture Park with a bold and immersive program focused on celebration, dialogue, and the poetics of possibility. Presented by FNB Art Joburg in partnership with BMW Group South Africa, this third edition deepened its commitment to critical thought and cultural engagement.
This year’s theme, “A Tropology Between Image and Imagination,”
explored the narrative power of creative practice. Artists and cultural thinkers came together to investigate how symbolism, gesture, and form served as tools to reclaim histories and shape speculative futures. Through this lens, the festival underscored imagination as methodology,
illuminating African presence in all its complexity and nuance.
PARTNERSHIPS.
The BMW Centre for Art Education.
The BMW Centre for Art Education (CFAE) at Zeitz MOCAA, launched in September 2024 after a three-year partnership with BMW Group South Africa, features two multifunctional classrooms and art-making facilities on Level 1 to support studio-based learning and workshops. It amplifies Zeitz MOCAA’s mission to make contemporary African art accessible through education, dialogue, and participation, reflecting BMW’s belief that cultural engagement spurs knowledge sharing, empowerment, and nation-wide reinvention.
African Film and Media Arts Collective.
The 20th BMW Art Car edition, embodied by Julie Mehretu’s BMW M Hybrid V8 unveiled in Paris and shown at Le Mans, catalyzed the pan-African AFMAC initiative—empowering emerging film and media artists across Africa with workshops in major cities to produce a 2026 short-film anthology that will be exhibited with Mehretu’s Art Car at Zeitz MOCAA, cementing BMW’s role as a cultural catalyst and “vocal archive” for Africa’s artistic creativity.
Esther Mahlangu Retrospective.
Esther Mahlangu became the first woman and first African artist commissioned by BMW for its Art Car collection in 1991, turning a BMW 525i into a moving canvas adorned with Ndebele patterns. Thirty-plus years later, the partnership remains a symbol of cultural respect and artistic innovation, opening doors for greater appreciation of African art and Mahlangu’s status as a living icon celebrated worldwide for preserving and transforming tradition through contemporary expression.
FNB Art Fair.
FNB Art Joburg is Africa’s leading contemporary art fair. The BMW South Africa exhibition space at the Sandton Convention Centre became a storytelling hub, celebrating the BMW Art Cars’ 50th anniversary. Highlights included René Staud’s large-format works, tracing the collection from Calder’s 1975 first Art Car to Mehretu’s 2023 piece. The space fostered cultural dialogue and engagement, linking BMW Art Generation and FNB Art Joburg to inspire Africa’s creative future.