The arts are a lifeline, not a luxury

THIS past week, I walked through the carefully curated spaces of Decorex Africa’s Johannesburg showcase, taking in a multitude of vibrant displays of South African designs. Decorex, an annual exhibition highlighting the ingenuity and craftsmanship of South ‘Afiican creatives, reminded me that design is never just surface level - behind each design and installation lies a deeper narrative about heritage, innovation, and who we uniquely are as a nation.

- TSWELOPELE MAKOE

Throughout the history of indigenous African societies, arts and culture have always been placed at the forefront. From trade and industry to artistic expression, arts and culture amongst indigenous Africans (and beyond) is not only indicative of a deeply embedded worldview, but also of a sophisticated system of knowledge, identity, and exchange.

The artistic expression of a people is reflected in the stories told by communities, in preserved memories, in encoded values, in languages and movements, in the textures of craft, and in the symbols that carry meaning across generations. Art is not expressed through written texts alone, but through the beadwork, drum rhythms, architecture, oral tradition, textiles, and rituals. This is how our people remember, resist, celebrate, and reimagine themselves, especially in times when words alone are simply not enough.

The common misconception is that arts and culture are purely for entertainment and decoration - something to enjoy on the weekends or admire from a distance - when in fact, they are critical tools for education, healing, resistance, and nation-building. They carry histories, shape identities, and offer spaces for dialogue that politics and traditional institutions frequently fail to consider.