The 13th annual BASA Awards nominees announced

The impressive list of nominees in 12 categories reflects a growing awareness within the corporate sector both of the inherent value of the arts to society at all levels and of the business argument for supporting the arts.

Among them, two Johannesburg Development Agency projects allowed Joburg's most densely-populated areas to become sites for public art. The BRT Station Public Art project (nominated in the Innovation Category) involved the commissioning of artwork to adorn the major stations along the Rea Vaya route, while Fire Walker, a dynamic structure by William Kentridge and Gerhard Marx on Queen Elizabeth Bridge, was nominated in the Single Strategic Project Category.

These were not the only projects of benefit to the broader public. RMB's six-metre concrete bench on busy Rivonia Road - flanked at each end by life-size bronze figures by sculptor Louis Olivier - has proved hugely popular with passers-by. The project was also nominated in the Innovation Category.

Four people who make massive contributions to South African arts are up for the Art Champion Award, a new category this year. They are film, television and theatre producer, Eric Abraham; Dick Enthoven, who has successfully drawn the worlds of business and the arts together with Nando's, Spier, Hollard and Etana; Paul Harris, who has always believed that the arts would be good for the brands under his control, including FNB and RMB, and Ravi Naidoo, founder of the Design Indaba.
Importantly this Award pays tribute to the role of the individual driver, with regards to corporate sponsorship of the arts.

The nominations also prove that everybody can make a difference from large corporates such as Absa, Old Mutual, Standard Bank and Total to smaller initiatives like Soweto's Sakhumzi Restaurant and Cape Town's Grand Daddy Hotel.

"Notwithstanding the current economic climate and the impact of the World Cup on arts sponsorship, we are delighted by the diversity and engagement of businesses in the arts, as seen by the finalist list. More and more, we are able to see how innovative both business and arts projects have become in order to truly leverage the relationship," says BASA CEO Michelle Constant.

Nominations were made in 12 categories while the Chairman's Award for sustained and innovative contribution to the arts will be awarded at the ceremony in August.

This year's finalists were selected by a prestigious panel of judges - co-founder and head of Vega School of Advertising, Gordon Cook; arts consultant Nicki du Plessis; Loerie Awards MD, Dr Andrew Human; marketing consultant Dr Ivan May; co-founder and co-owner of multi-disciplinary design firm INK Lisebo Mokhesi and Artistic Director of Siwela Sonke, and academic Jay Pather. The Awards were audited by Grant Thornton.

Says Dr May: "It is gratifying to see the recognition of arts and culture sponsorship by enlightened companies. And it is growing every year. Unlike the Fifa World Cup, which prices are quoted in telephone number terms, arts and culture sponsorship represents such excellent value for money. Enlightened companies are recognising this and are turning the sponsorship to their substantial advantage. Thus arts sponsorship, done smartly, is the secret weapon to brand building and triple bottom line accountability."

The Business Day BASA Awards, supported by Anglo American, will be presented at a gala ceremony at Villa Arcadia on August 30.

The full list of the 13th Annual Business Day BASA Awards, supported by Anglo American 2010 nominations:

Innovation

• Absa Internal Choir Festival (sponsor Absa)
  The Absa Internal Choir Festival (AICF) was initiated in 2005 and has been so successful that it was the subject of a doctoral study at the University of Pretoria. The project involves all Absa employees in 10 provinces across SA. The process is designed to identify the best choir at a final gala event. Says national coordinator Annemarie Mostert: "The benefits produced are enormous, our people felt they belonged to something special, where no one was excluded. No auditions are held - the only qualification required is the desire to join and the commitment to practice after hours. This is what makes the programme so unique and why it has changed lives."

• The Benchmark Think Project with sculptor Louis Olivier (sponsor Rand Merchant Bank)
  In 2006, RMB commissioned then unknown, self-taught SA sculptor Louis Olivier to produce an original gift for key clients - a limited edition of 250 bronze and stainless steel bookends. Approached in 2009 by the Sandton Central Management District (SCMD) to participate in the Sandton Benchmark Project through installation of public functional art, RMB saw the opportunity to leverage the bookends project further. RMB head office now stands as backdrop to a six-metre concrete bench flanked at each end by a life-size bronze figure, one male and one female, both thinking and inspired by Rodin's Thinker. The bench, highly visible on the pavement in busy Rivonia Road, is used by the public - both commuters and pedestrians - for whom it was intended.

• The BRT Station Public Art Project (sponsor Johannesburg Development Agency)
  The BRT Station Public Art project was initiated to celebrate the diverse stories that define Joburg and was commissioned by the Johannesburg Development Agency (JDA). It is managed and implemented by a consortium consisting of The Trinity Session, Turkis and Urban Works but the final designs were selected by a group of local artists. At each station, artists have designed works that are sandblasted onto the glass panels. "The artworks programme was not merely an attempt to beautify the stations, but to create something of worth embedded in the very structure of the stations that would engage and pay tribute to those who use it on a daily basis," says Lael Bethlehem, the chief executive officer of the JDA.

• South African National Association for the Visual Arts (sponsor Absa)
  Absa L'Atelier, organised in collaboration with SANAVA, is the longest running art competition and the most prestigious in South Africa. The winner receives a return air ticket to France and prize money to further their studies while living in a studio apartment purchased for this purpose at the Cité Internationale des Arts in Paris. To celebrate its 25th anniversary, Absa launched an out-of-the-box and innovative campaign taking inspiration from the famous line of Henry Mattise "Creativity Takes Courage". Four documentaries were also made about artists and debuted at the 2010 Design Indaba.

First Time Sponsor

• Imbali Visual Literacy Project: education and training in arts and crafts (sponsor Diamscan SA (Pty) Ltd)
  Imbali is committed to provide high quality education and training in arts and crafts with the aim of empowering individuals to become economically independent through the expression of their creativity. Diamscan SA decided to support specialisation activities so the students could have a stronger curriculum and be better prepared to launch independent careers as crafters. The project involves supporting Imbali in three key areas - funding specialised courses in textile printing as well as business, literacy and numeracy skills and supporting Imbali's shop at Museum Africa by assisting with marketing and publicity.

• The Cultural Landscapes Exhibition (sponsor The Forum Company)
  The Forum Company offered Turbine Hall as a space in which to promote and exhibit the work of 22 young, emerging artists. Sponsorship was obtained from IFAS (French Institute of South Africa) which enabled the prohibitive cost of framing to be sponsored.

• Mo-bil-ity: Artists in Residence (sponsor Kwelapele Investments (Pty) Ltd t/a Modern Autohaus BMW)
  This initiative came about to support artists in Polokwane. Five artists - Richard Chauke, Philip Rikotso, Wayne Baker, Irene Naude, and Amos Letsoalo - displayed works under the theme Mobility at a BMW showroom and was complemented with an exhibition of African toys from the African Toyshop. This led to impressive sales, a collaboration between Barker and Chauke while three of the Mobility artists were later invited to show their work at the UCA Gallery in Cape Town. Chauke was also a finalist in both the Sasol New Signatures and Spier Art Competition with a concept relating to the Mobility project.

• Zip Zap Circus (sponsor AFS Group (Pty) Ltd)
  David Froman, founder of the AFS Group, became a member of the Zip Zap Circus Board in 2008. Through his involvement he recognised the opportunity for the AFS Group to contribute financially through the provision of fuel. This allowed the circus to give workshops, collect children and drop them off again after the workshops as well as to transport staff, performers and equipment for performances around the country. The relationship is unique as there is no exchange of money, simply the cost of the fuel being carried by AFS, using its core product to support a NPO.

Increasing Access to the Arts

• Africa meets Africa: Ndebele women painting in the city (sponsor Plascon Paints (Pty) Ltd)
  Great Ndebele artists such as Esther Mahlangu and Francinah Ndemande never refer to "paint" - instead they talk about "Plascon"! The Africa meets Africa Project celebrates the sophistication of Ndebele art and supports education in the rural Mpumalanga community of its origin. A large mural painting has been developed on the facade of the Sci-ono Discovery Centre in Newtown and demonstrates the mathematics of Ndebele design. This methodology will be used to regenerate traditional Ndebele painting and beadwork skills in schools and then also used to teach mathematics within the classroom.

• Braam Kruger Retrospective Exhibition (sponsor Standard Bank - Limpopo)
  Standard Bank Limpopo sponsored The Braam Kruger Exhibition, the first catalogue documenting his artistic talent. The exhibition will be remembered as an emotional reflection of an amazing artist and a celebration of Braam's life. The exhibition also promoted the Polokwane Arts Museum and the Department of Sports Arts & Culture. The exhibition took place in Limpopo for a month before it was moved to the University of Johannesburg.

• Sandton Central Arts Programme (sponsor Sandton Business Improvement District t/a Sandton Central)
  The Sandton Central Arts Programme and specifically the Open Street Session and the Exhibition Programme have been exceptionally successful in bringing art to the streets thereby exposing audiences to artists and art forms they may never otherwise have been exposed to. Added to this, the artists in these two projects have been given a new medium through which to expose their talents and experiment with their work.

International Sponsorship

• The Buskaid Soweto String Ensemble Botswana Tour (sponsor Total South Africa (Pty) Ltd)
  Buskaid's 17 international tours have brought nothing but positive publicity both for Buskaid and for South Africa. However, the group had never performed in an African country and the partnership between Buskaid and Total enabled the Buskaid Ensemble to undertake a concert tour in Botswana, involving two major public concerts, visits to rural schools near Gaborone, a workshop for local music students and a performance for children in a feeding scheme.

• Old Mutual National Choir Festival (sponsor Old Mutual Life Assurance Company (South Africa) Limited)
  The Old Mutual National Choir Festival is a 33 year national choral music competition conducted at district, then provincial levels and cultivating in a national final. It is an annual project with various events staged from January to December. Those who started off as part of the NCF and who have now become household names include the Afro Tenors, Sibongile Mngoma and Pretty Yende.

• Rendezvous Art Project (sponsor Air Liquide Pty)
  This project aims to forge cultural links between South Africa and France by means of a series of exhibitions of lithographical work by artists from the two countries. The French component of these exhibitions is a collection of lithographical prints from Atelier Pons in Paris to be shown around SA (such as Pablo Picasso, Jean Pons, Pierre Alechinsky, Hans Hartung and Yves Klein) and the South African component consists of a collection of South African artists working in the medium of lithography (such as William Kentridge, Judith Mason, Sam Nhlengetwa, Diane Victor, Tommy Motswai and Norman Catherine).

Sustainable Partnership

• Absa Internal Choir Festival (sponsor Absa)
  The Absa Internal Choir festival is much more than music. It is also a tool for corporate teambuilding and transformation. 2010 sees the introduction of Choir Theme Parks where live feeds from the final gala event will be transmitted to various communities/churches/schools across SA. The legacy of the choir is that it has received accolades from international music academics.

• Old Mutual National Choir Festival (sponsor Old Mutual Life Assurance Company (South Africa) Limited)
  Known as South Africa's oldest, most prestigious choral music competition, Old Mutual has supported this competition since 1988 and has invested in the development of arts and culture, not only in the various provinces, but nationally and in the Southern African region. The NCF project seeks to promote, preserve and protect all language rights by giving all languages equal exposure. The NCF project has vast potential to tap into other countries and continents.

• Standard Bank Young Artist Awards (sponsor Standard Bank of South Africa)
  2009 marked the 25th anniversary of the Standard Bank Young Artist Awards (SBYA Awards), in partnership with the National Arts Festival. These awards, in the disciplines of dance, visual art, drama, film, music and jazz, are granted to South African artists who have demonstrated exceptional ability in their chosen field but not yet achieved national exposure and acclaim. The awards are regarded as South Africa's most prestigious cultural accolades and the list of recipients includes some of South Africa's most famous creative individuals. A new development undertaken with the support of SB's business operations in Africa, the French Institute of South Africa and the Alliance Francaise led to 2009 Jazz award winner Kesivan Naidoo and his band performing in Nigeria, Ghana and Kenya.

• The UCT Clanwilliam Arts Development Project (sponsor Fairheads)
  The UCT Fairheads Clanwilliam Arts Project is entrenched in the community. At the core, the project aims to bring a creative spark and an awareness of the arts to the community through its own cultural heritage. A permanent presence has been created with COMNET, a drama group of high school learners who participated in the project over the years and demonstrated consistent interest and commitment. Two original COMNET members have been accepted onto the training programme at Jazzart in Cape Town. One of the leaders of COMNET receives a trainee bursary from Magnet Theatre to co-ordinate the group. COMNET put on 5 performances in the past year, won a prize at the Weskus drama fees and attended the Klap school festival at the Absa KKNK in Oudtshoorn.

Media Sponsorship

• Classicfeel Magazine (sponsor DeskLink Media)
  The project was initially launched to keep classical music lovers informed about the latest developments in music. DeskLink decided to expand the footprint of the magazine to a full-blown arts and culture publication aimed at showcasing the best in music, visual arts, theatre, dance, film and lifestyle in South Africa. Since this decision was made, Classicfeel has become the country's premier arts and culture publication.

• Absa Klein Karoo Nasionale Kunstefees (sponsor kykNET)
  This synergistic partnership has enabled both parties to contribute to the arts industry in South Africa and keep producing new work and interesting projects across the arts landscape. kykNET sponsors a venue at the AbsaKKNK that allows for more performances. The project works on more than one level. kykNET also took some soap actors and a talent search for new Afrikaans rugby commentators to the festival.

• Oppikoppi (sponsor MK)
  With the creation of the first South Music channel, MK89, in 2005, it made sense to partner with the premiere music festival in the country, Oppikoppi. The mutual love for music and a desire to strengthen and grow the SA music industry became the anchor of the partnership. MK made the TV ad for the festival and also an ad for a promotion. The festival also creates amazing content for the channel that also translates into post publicity for the event.

• Spring Art Tour (sponsor BDFM Publishers (Pty) Ltd)
  Artlogic decided to partner with Business Day's Wanted Magazine as Artlogic felt that the publication accessed the correct target market for the various art and culture events that Artlogic piloted between 2009 and 2010. The Sep 09 edition of Wanted Magazine was branded as the "Spring Art Tour" edition.

• The Witness Hilton Arts Festival (sponsor The Witness Printing and Publishing Company)
  The Witness Hilton Arts festival, now in its 17th year, has proved to be a lasting, ongoing relationship between the two organisations (Hilton College and The Witness) which has seen it grow from a small event into one of the largest theatrical festival of its kind in KwaZulu Natal, bringing over 20 000 people to the event over a three day period. Apart from the financial contribution, the newspaper's marketing team is fully committed to the event and creates all of the artwork for the promotional material, programmes and editorial. The event has created employment in the district in terms of additional staff employed in the hospitality industry to cope with the added influx of people to the district - but has also focussed on employing disadvantaged members of the community from the Hilton village. Bursaries have been created, with the first sound technician sponsored entirely by the festival, qualifying last year. For the first time in 2010 there will be a schools day, bringing learners from throughout the country to the festival.

Single Strategic Project

• The Cultural Landscapes Exhibition (sponsor The Forum Company)
  The newly opened Turbine Hall was exposed to a wide and influential group of the South African community while the artists' work was shown to best advantage which resulted in more than 80 percent of the art displayed being sold. The public were the beneficiaries as prices were accessible and several first time buyers expressed delight with their new acquisitions.

• Daddy Bloom (sponsor The Grand Daddy Hotel)
  Daddy Bloom was a spring-focused project to promote creativity and the arts that invited 12 contestants to create a spring garden in the Grand Daddy's Airstream Trailer Park that was made of anything other than real flowers. The gardens had to be able to weather the elements and artists were told that they could sell their wares if they wanted. Prizes of R 1000 and two separate prizes of a night's stay in the trailers at the Grand Daddy were also given to the artists.

• In Tune with Nature (sponsor MayFord Seeds [Sakata Seed Southern Africa (Pty) Ltd)
  Most gardening enthusiasts love music and the partnership was formed to bring music into the garden and leverage the sponsor's marketing spend with brand exposure at such an event. In Tune with Nature offered a morning of gardening advice combined with beautiful music and song with gardening editor, Tanya Visser, and conductor Richard Cock together with a variety of performers.

• Trinity Sessions: Fire Walker (sponsor Johannesburg Development Agency)
  The partnership was formed to develop a large scale iconic landmark that marks the entrance to the City of Johannesburg when coming from the north. This was a great way to raise the profile of the City of Johannesburg and the JDA's art programme. For William Kentridge and Gerhard Marx to participate in the development of this piece was a great endorsement of the City's art projects.

Small Business

• Classicfeel Magazine (sponsor DeskLink Media)
  DeskLink Media, a multimedia, publishing and graphic design company, has brought tremendous value to the arts world through its creation and support of South Africa's top arts magazine. The readership and industry credentials of Classicfeel continue to grow. Retail and subscription numbers are on the increase and the magazine keeps forming partnerships with various arts industry players.

• Sakhumzi Restaurant (sponsor Sakhumzi Restaurant)
  Bush TV, an eventing and film and TV production company based in Soweto, saw an opportunity to enrich the experience of tourists who come to Soweto by showing that the city also has a rich musical heritage so a variety of musicians were showcased at the venue.

• Sareal Design Exhibition (sponsor Omnicor)
  The partnership was formed in order to facilitate sales, advertising, exposure and brand awareness to the target audience for Durban based Sareal Design's products in Gauteng. Through the sale of its products, Sareal is continuously and directly enriching the lives of disadvantaged communities in South Africa. Omnicor provided a venue at their offices in Rosebank and encouraged its client base to view the showcased products thereby effectively increasing the target audience percentage reach.

• Suidoosterfees (sponsor The Movers Company)
  This year The Movers Company came aboard as the transport sponsor and helped Suidoosterfees with the transportation of productions of Miss Africa South, Shirley Valentyn and Die Vrou In Die Maan. Says The Movers Company's Gerrit Engelbrecht: "Being part of the arts is more to improve the arts of South Africa than about the money. We want to take the arts to the people because I never had the opportunity to before 30 years of age to be part of the arts."

Youth Development

• The Buskaid Soweto String Ensemble Botswana Tour (sponsor Total South Africa (Pty) Ltd)
  The longstanding relationship which has existed between Total South Africa and Buskaid since 1997 was considerably strengthened in 2009 when the former agreed to sponsor in its entirety Buskaid's first tour to an African country (Botswana), with added support for two linked concerts in Johannesburg. The company has subsequently reinforced its commitment by sponsoring an international tour of Syria by the Buskaid Ensemble.

• Exclusive Books Children's Book Festival (sponsor Exclusive Books)
  The Exclusive Books month-long children's reading festival started in 2008 with the aim of nurturing a reading culture amongst South African children. The organisers ensure that all stores carry the most essential children's books range; a best books reading guide for parents; a specialist bookseller and a One Club selection prepared for librarians and teachers. In 2010, there were 32 events in 24 stores around the country aimed at getting youngsters "hooked on reading".

• The SoundHouse (sponsor Paul Bothner Music (Pty) Ltd)
  The SoundHouse is a music education learning centre situated at the Baxter Theatre Centre. Fifteen workstations, each equipped with a music keyboard, microphone and computer software and hardware facilitate the teaching of musical concepts, particularly focusing on composition, music creation and exploring new avenues through the use of technology, and digital media such as picture, animation and video, through active participation by learners. It is unique in that it is the only one of its kind providing music education focused around technology in a public facility in the country.

• Standard Bank National Schools Festival (sponsor Standard Bank of South Africa)
  The sponsorship has enabled the South African Schools Festivals project to achieve its dream of introducing South African young people to the wonder, joy and power of the arts. Delegates are given the opportunity to discover and develop various skills under the supervision of professional arts practitioners, whilst interacting directly, and in collaboration with fellow learners from a range of diverse backgrounds. Apart from learning new skills and having a whole lot of fun while doing it, these workshops, lectures and professional productions form an integral part of the overall arts education programme.

• The UCT Clanwilliam Arts Development Project (sponsor Fairheads)
  This year marks a decade that Fairheads has sponsored the UCT Clanwilliam arts development project. Hundreds of children's lives have been touched in the process and some have decided to adopt a career in the performing arts. The community now regards the project as a permanent part of the Clanwilliam cultural landscape. The project is a collaborative effort by UCT Drama, the Michaelis School of Fine Art as well as Magnet Theatre and Jazzart. The most important element has been and remains to bring a creative spark and an awareness of the arts to poor rural children who would otherwise never have such exposure. About 700 children between the ages of 5 and 18 are directly involved each year.

Sponsorship In Kind

• Thuthuka Jewellery Development Programme (sponsor Studio 5)
  The Thuthuka Jewellery Development Programme is a skills development intervention to upgrade the design skills of young urban and rural jewellers. The partnership between Thuthuka and Studio 5 added great value to the media and marketing strategy of Thuthuka. Studio 5 designed and printed all the advertising and media material which enabled Thuthuka to gain publicity and exposure and showcase their jewellery.

Mentor(s) of the Year

• Daryl Bennewith/Fiona Kerr - Drakensburg Boys Choir
  The Drakensberg Boys Choir spends a great deal of its time and efforts on sourcing funding to improve its facilities and provide financial assistance to many talented boys whose parents are not in a position to afford the fees. This leaves very little funding to employ the right people to manage the institution's brand and keep it relevant. Through BASA, the DBCS was introduced to Daryl Bennewith and Fiona Kerr from TBWA/Hunt Lascaris in Durban. The two led the DBCS through a marketing and branding repositioning process enabling the school to better position itself for the 21st century, addressing current society and moving the boys forward in a new age.

• Hilton Lawler - Origins Centre Association
  Hilton Lawler took the staff of the Origins Centre Association and not only facilitated sessions on the basics of marketing but worked them through building their own marketing strategy. Given the diverse range of products on offer from the centre, including educational, heritage, merchandising, functions and events, the strategy had to be one that encompassed the Origins Centre as a whole but that also catered for the different divisions that dealt with very different products and markets. Hilton managed to unite a diverse group of individuals and got them working off the 'same page' over a period of six months. Results in 2010 have already been positive and one of the weak areas of the centre - attendance at temporary exhibitions - has seen a significant increase already. The centre's financial position in 2010 is also set to improve radically because of strategies implemented from the business/marketing plan.

• Hilton Lawler - Shwe Shwe Poppis
  Hilton Lawler was assigned to Soweto's Shwe Shwe Poppis to help devise a marketing and sales plan as the project was in jeopardy due to a lack of customers. On both a theoretical and practical level Hilton proved himself to be a skilled teacher. He managed to engage with the mentees and develop their competence and self esteem. Hilton identified a need to have a web based marketing platform so he asked Firewater to design and host the website. He also required some PR training for the project and co-opted Buz Publicity to help out. At the start of Hilton's comprehensive mentorship there were seven regular clients, there are now 21.

• Gordon Massie - Visual Arts Network (VANSA) Western Cape
  The Visual Arts Network of South Africa is an umbrella organisation serving the interests of visual arts practitioners. Gordon Massie, managing director of Artinsure, assisted the Western Cape branch through professional and personal coaching and providing arts management skills and mentoring. Commissions by the City of Cape Town, as well as the Western Cape Provincial Government have increased dramatically and VANSA Western Cape played a significant role in Cape Town's World Cup arts offering. Their funding situation has also become much more secure and significant programs are in place to take the organisation from strength to strength.

• Gregory David Wallis - Ifa Lethu
  Ifa Lethu is an organisation based in Pretoria specialising in teaching people entrepreneurial skills, and have been responsible for repatriating South African Art. Wallis' intersection came to play on the concept of coupling art and fashion. Wallis mentored young designers in the development of a clothing line, and ensured that their collections worked together. He was involved in organising workshops focused on marketing, manufacturing and cost analysis. His impressive connections further allowed them access to both fashion shows and other designers.

Art Champion

• Eric Abraham - Founding Producer of The Fugard Theatre and Isango Portobello; Founder and Director of Portobello Pictures, Portobello Productions, Portobello Books and Fandango Portobello; Publisher of Granta Magazine
  Eric Abraham has been the key funder responsible for Isango Portobello's new home in District 6 - The Fugard Theatre. Abraham is a film, television and theatre producer, best known for producing the Academy Award-winning film Kolya (Best Foreign Language Film, 1996). A South African born former journalist and human rights activist banned and house-arrested by the apartheid government in 1976 and exiled for 15 years, he went on to form his own production company, Portobello. In 2006 he set up Isango Portobello to produce theatre and film productions with South African talent for South African and international audiences. The Magic Flute - Impempe Yomlingo transferred from Cape Town to the West End and won the Olivier Award for Best Musical Revival, 2008, before touring internationally. The company also presented an acclaimed revival of their production of The Mysteries - Yiimimangaliso in Cape Town in 2009 prior to a West End transfer.

• Dick Enthoven - Shareholder of Capricorn Group (Nando's, Spier, Hollard and Etana, amongst others)
  Dick Enthoven is a champion of the arts who combines outstanding success in business with phenomenal triumphs as a promoter and nurturer of the arts in all forms. Aside from freely giving of his time and expertise, he has inspired fellow patrons and patronage of South African contemporary art. His contributions are broad and varied. In addition to being a major collector himself, he has successfully drawn the worlds of business and the arts together. Nando's, Spier, Hollard and Etana have fully embraced the arts. Nando's UK has a collection of 3000 South African artworks prominently displayed in over 200 restaurants while Hollard, Etana and Spier have extensive collections of contemporary South African art displayed at their premises. Spier has wide-ranging involvement in the visual, performing and cinematic arts including the Spier Contemporary Art Biennale, Spier Films, the Spier Arts Academy and Spier Architectural Arts.

• Paul Harris - partner in Audacia Wine Farm; RMB Holdings, FirstRand LTD; Ellerman House; partner in Everard Read Gallery
  When it was announced that Paul Harris had bought into Everard Read gallery it was clear that he was prepared to be public about his passion for art. What is so impressive about Harris is that he has always believed that art would be good for the brands under his control. This includes RMB's impressive 1500 piece collection and sponsorship of William Kentridge's version of the opera The Magic Flute as well as FNB's Joburg Art Fair. Harris today probably has the most traditional art by some of South Africa's most important old masters housed in his Ellerman House boutique hotel (Cape Town), which recently launched their new contemporary gallery consisting of many works by young and established South African artists such as William Kentridge, Angus Taylor and Karin Preller.

• Ravi Naidoo - CEO: Interactive Africa; Host and Founder of Design Indaba
  Ravi Naidoo is the founder and host of the Design Indaba, one of the world's leading design institutions hosting a flagship conference and expo annually in Cape Town. Not only is Design Indaba Conference bringing international thought leadership from across the globe to South Africa every year and putting South Africa on the global design map, the Design Indaba Expo contributes significantly to increase South African exports and the growth of the local economy. The Design Indaba also promotes South African creativity all year round through its 12 official international media partners, the Design Indaba Magazine and website and Cape Town Design Route map.

About Business and Arts South Africa:

Business and Arts South Africa (BASA) is an internationally recognised South African development agency which incorporates the arts into, and contributes to, corporates' commercial success. With a suite of integrated programmes, Business and Arts South Africa encourages mutually beneficial partnerships between business and the arts. Business and Arts South Africa was founded in 1997 as a joint initiative of government and the business sector, to secure the future development of the arts industry in South Africa, through increased corporate sector involvement. Established as a Section 21 company, Business and Arts South Africa is accountable to both government and its business members.