DOES SOUTH AFRICA NEED A 27-MEMBER NATIONAL ARTS COUNCIL?
Time to Review the National Arts Council Act: Is Bigger Really Better?
By Thami akaMbongo Manzana
Nearly three decades after the enactment of the National Arts Council Act, 1997 (Act 56 of 1997), perhaps the most important question facing South Africa's arts sector is not whether the National Arts Council (NAC) should continue to exist, but whether the legislation governing it remains fit for purpose in 2026.
The creative economy has changed dramatically. The funding landscape has changed. The expectations placed on public institutions have changed. Yet the governance architecture of the National Arts Council has remained largely untouched.
The time has come for Parliament, the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture, and the creative sector to ask difficult questions.
Does the National Arts Council Need a Council of Up to 27 Members?
Section 4 of the Act provides that the Council consists of nine provincial representatives and between nine and eighteen additional members, meaning the Council can have as many as 27 members.
But is such a large governing body still justified?
Most successful public entities and corporate boards deliberately keep governance structures lean to improve decision-making, accountability and responsiveness.
If an organisation can function effectively with a smaller board, why should the National Arts Council continue to carry one of the largest governance structures among South Africa's cultural institutions?
Does quantity necessarily produce quality governance?
Or does it simply increase bureaucracy?
What Exactly Is the Role of Provincial Representatives?
Perhaps the most pressing question concerns the nine provincial representatives.
The Act provides for every province to elect one representative through a transparent public process.
But nearly three decades later, many artists still ask:
- What measurable impact have provincial representatives made in their respective provinces?
- How often do they report back to artists?
- What formal consultation mechanisms exist between them and provincial arts communities?
- How many funding opportunities have they attracted to their provinces?
- Have they become ambassadors for provincial artists—or merely attendees of Council meetings?
If provincial representatives exist primarily to strengthen provincial coordination, then measurable outcomes should be visible.
The public deserves to know how success is measured.
Where Is the Drive to Generate Additional Funding?
One of the least discussed aspects of the National Arts Council Act is its financing model.
Section 16 makes provision for the Council's funding to come not only from Parliamentary appropriations but also from donations, contributions, service income and other lawful sources.
This raises an important policy question.
- Why has the NAC remained so heavily dependent on annual government allocations?
- Where are the major fundraising campaigns?
- Where are the international philanthropic partnerships?
- Where are the strategic corporate sponsorships?
- Where are the endowment funds?
- Where are the investment strategies designed to expand grant-making beyond Treasury allocations?
If the Council has legal authority to receive donations and contributions, should one of its key performance indicators not be the ability to leverage additional funding for South African artists?
Imagine the difference if the Council succeeded in attracting hundreds of millions of rand from international cultural foundations, development agencies, corporate social investment programmes and philanthropic organisations.
That would mean more grants.
- More bursaries.
- More jobs.
- More opportunities.
Has Governance Become Too Political?
The National Arts Council should exist to advance artistic excellence, transformation and equitable access to funding.
It should never become a space where political interests overshadow the needs of artists.
Appointments to the Council should inspire confidence across the sector.
Artists must believe that governance decisions are guided by competence, integrity and commitment to the arts not by political affiliations or factional interests.
Public institutions function best when independence is protected.
The arts flourish when governance is trusted.
What Can We Learn from the Administrator Model?
One of the most interesting developments in recent times has been the administration of the National Arts Council following the dissolution of the Council.
Many stakeholders have observed that administrative processes appear to have become more decisive and responsive under the Administrator model.
This naturally raises uncomfortable questions.
- If one Administrator, supported by management and staff, can keep the institution operational, what additional value should a Council of more than twenty members provide?
- What governance functions genuinely require such a large Council?
- Could a smaller, highly skilled board provide stronger oversight while allowing management to focus on implementation?
These are not arguments against governance.
They are arguments for smarter governance.
Should the Act Be Amended?
Legislation should evolve alongside the institutions it governs.
Perhaps Parliament should consider amendments that include:
- Reducing the size of the Council to between 9 and 12 members.
- Reviewing whether nine provincial representatives remain the most effective governance model.
- Introducing mandatory fundraising and resource mobilisation responsibilities for the Council.
- Requiring annual public reporting on provincial engagement activities.
- Establishing measurable performance indicators for Council members.
- Strengthening accountability for attendance, participation and outcomes.
- Reviewing governance costs to ensure more funding reaches artists rather than administrative structures.
Putting Artists First
Every rand spent on governance should ultimately benefit artists.
Every Council meeting should translate into better opportunities for creatives.
Every governance decision should strengthen the cultural sector.
South Africa does not need a large Council simply for the sake of numbers.
It needs a capable Council.
It needs visionary leadership.
It needs governance that unlocks new resources rather than merely administering declining budgets.
The National Arts Council Act served an important purpose when it was adopted in 1997.
The question now is whether the Act is still designed for the realities of South Africa's creative economy in 2026.
Reviewing legislation is not an attack on an institution.
It is how strong institutions remain relevant.
Perhaps the biggest question of all is this:
Should the National Arts Council continue operating under a governance model designed nearly 30 years ago, or is it time to build a leaner, more accountable and more resourceful institution that places artists not bureaucracy at the centre of its mission?
.jpeg)
Comments