DLO launches inaugural Artist Prize in support of African female artists

DLO Energy Resources Group has launched the DLO Energy Resources Group Artist Prize, to be presented at the 2026 RMB Latitudes Art Fair. This inaugural award reflects DLO’s ongoing commitment to investing in African excellence, with a dedicated focus on supporting and elevating the work of African female artists.

As a company rooted in infrastructure development and long-term value creation across the continent, DLO recognises that sustainable growth extends beyond energy and into the cultural and creative economies that shape identity, innovation and inclusive progress. Through this initiative, DLO seeks to contribute meaningfully to the advancement of African women in the arts, a sector where talent is abundant, but access to visibility, funding and institutional support remains uneven.

In partnership with RMB Latitudes Art Fair and its Creative Connections platform, the Artist Prize forms part of the fair’s 2026 programme. The award is acquisition-focused, providing direct financial support to the selected artist while also contributing to the development of thoughtful and representative corporate art collections.

In addition to the acquisition prize, the winning artist will receive fully sponsored access to entrepreneurship training through the DLO Skills Initiative, which aims to train Africa’s unemployed youth with critical entrepreneurship and vocational skills. This component is designed to equip the artist with the practical tools required to manage and sustain their practice as a business, strengthening long-term financial resilience and independence.

The recipient will be selected from a curated shortlist of exhibiting artists and announced at the fair on 24 May 2026 in Johannesburg. In addition to the award, the selected artist will gain exposure to a network of collectors, curators and institutions, supporting both the immediate and long-term trajectory of her practice.

Commenting on the initiative, DLO’s founder and CEO Linda Mabhena-Olagunju (pictured) says: “Artists are not often seen as entrepreneurs, yet they are – they are self-employed individuals who, at the highest levels, go on to create further employment within the broader ecosystem. It is therefore critical that they are equipped with the skills to manage themselves effectively.

“We should no longer accept a reality where artists struggle financially despite the depth of their talent and the discipline they bring to their craft. Through the DLO Skills Initiative, this award seeks to provide artists with the core business and entrepreneurial skills that can position them for long-term financial success.”

Mabhena-Olagunju, who studied at the National School of the Arts and remains a committed supporter of the creative sector, emphasises that this initiative reflects DLO’s broader vision of enabling African talent to thrive sustainably.

The award presentation will take place as part of a broader gathering of leaders across business, investment and the creative industries, creating a platform for dialogue, connection and collaboration.

Africa’s contemporary art market continues to experience strong global growth, with increasing international demand for works by African artists and rising visibility across major auction houses, galleries and institutions. However, a significant portion of Africa’s artistic and cultural output continues to leave the continent, often entering international private and institutional collections.

DLO believes this underscores the importance of African institutions and companies actively building and preserving their own collections – not only as custodians of cultural heritage but as active participants in shaping the narrative and long-term value of African creative production.

By establishing and supporting corporate collections, and by investing in both artistic and entrepreneurial development, DLO aims to contribute to a more resilient and inclusive ecosystem, one in which African creativity is both globally recognised and meaningfully retained on the continent.

Through the DLO Energy Resources Group Artist Prize, DLO reaffirms its role not only as a builder of energy infrastructure but as a partner in shaping a more inclusive and dynamic African ecosystem, where creativity, leadership and opportunity intersect.