Cultural Cooperation South Africa-Netherlands 2025-2028

South Africa remains one of the 24 priority countries in the Netherlands International Cultural Policy in 2025 – 2028. The Dutch international cultural policy supports engagement of Dutch artists with the South African cultural sector. Specific focus areas are performing arts, digital, visual arts, music, literature, film and heritage. Cultural collaboration projects between the Netherlands and South Africa have a strong focus on contemporary identity challenges, often linked to historic ties and addressing the colonial legacy and restorative collaboration.

Previous collaborative projects between Dutch and South African cultural workers have left a resource of information and inspiration. One example is The City Agency which produced an online platform for methodologies to stimulate representational equity in the public life of cities like Cape Town and Amsterdam, or The Black Archives archive on The erased history of slavery in the Cape and the need for reparations.

Performing Arts
Arnhem based dance company Introdans brought HubClub to Durban’s JOMBA! Festival. The collection of short pieces included a duet between Dutch dancer Eva Eikhout and South African Thapelo Kotlolo, choreographed by Adrian Luteijn in 2022 for Body Moves, the first inclusive dance festival in South Africa. Dutch musician Joep Pelt recorded a second album with his band Soweto Soul. While in South Africa the group performed at the at the Desmond Tutu United 4 Humanity Concert in the St George’s Cathedral.

Visual Arts
Born Free: Generation of Hope was an exhibition by Dutch photographer Ilvy Njiokiktjien’at the Apartheid Museum in Johannesburg in 2024. The exhibition was curated by Neo Ntsoma and Azu Nwagbogu and engaged with South Africa’s past and present through collaborative artistic engagement. Many projects combine cultural cooperation with a commitment to climate action. Stef Veldhuis’ Heavy Waters exhibition at the Bond Shed in Durban in 2023 asked audiences to listen to more-than-human perspectives by translating the life of a living mussel under Durban pier into sound through organ pipes. The collaborative mural project by Cartoon Movement presented a message of hope for the earth by young South African activist Zaheer Sooliman interpreted into a cartoon by Cuban cartoonist Osval and translated into a mural in downtown Johannesburg by local artist Ras Silas Motse.

Audiovisual Productions
South Africa and the Netherlands have an audiovisual co-production treaty to encourage the film industries to exchange knowledge and share markets. Through this agreement the South Africa's National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) and the Netherlands Film Fund have created a joint scheme Thuthuka, which contributes towards the development of selected scripts and pitch decks, as well as a production pilot, read more…

Heritage Cooperation
South Africa is one of the priority countries in the international heritage cooperation policy. Collaborations are stimulated through the International heritage cooperation scheme. Among other projects, the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands and the South African Heritage Resources Agency (SAHRA) have been working together on the oral history investigation of over a hundred Dutch historical shipwrecks, read more…

Western Cape Archives and Records Service (WCARS) and the National Archives of the Netherlands (NAN) work closely together to preserve, digitize and present archival collections concerning the shared history of South Africa and the Netherlands, read more…

In the Netherlands there is a strong interests in South African culture. Some cultural institutions are founded on historical ties to the South Africa include Zuid-Afrikahuis, Thami Mnyele Foundation and ZAM Magazine. Collections with a connection to South African history are part of the Wereldmuseum, Rijksmuseum and National Archives. Other institutions actively collaborating with South African artists include The Black Archives, Framer Framed and the pubilisher Dwaalstêr.

The Kingdom of the Netherlands is represented in South Africa by the Embassy in Pretoria and the Consulate General in Cape Town. The cultural programme is coordinated by the Policy Officer for Culture based in Pretoria but supporting projects throughout the country. In the current policy period 2025 to 2028 the Kingdom of the Netherlands in South Africa together with DutchCulture and all other stakeholders will continue to support the Dutch cultural sector in their work with South African partners. The international cultural policy aims to create a strong international position for the Dutch cultural sector in South Africa through enduring cooperation, exchanges and visibility. The Kingdom of the Netherlands in South Africa supports bilateral relations with South Africa with the help of Dutch cultural activities in the mutually important topics of colonial legacy, climate awareness, gender and LGBTIQIA+ rights, and constitutionalism and democracy. Using the power of the cultural and creative sector the Kingdom of the Netherlands in South Africa promotes sustainable development, with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a guiding framework.

Feel free to contact our advisor for South Africa if you have any questions.