Online Reporter
Maria Chiguvari-Zimpapers Arts and Entertainment hub
The second edition of the Cheuka Harare Art Fair (CHAF) has been officially announced, with organisers promising a larger and more impactful platform for artists, collectives and creative practitioners from across Southern Africa and the continent.
The art fair is scheduled to run from November 17 to 19 at the Harare Showgrounds.
This year’s edition will place special emphasis on artist-run initiatives, collectives and residency programmes, highlighting their role in shaping contemporary African art and fostering collaboration across borders. Speaking during a roundtable discussion alongside cultural commentators James Saruchera and Admire Kamudzengerere, cultural and heritage expert Farai Mpfunya outlined the fair’s broader vision.
“CHAF are building a fair that is unapologetically rooted here — in Harare, in Zimbabwe, in the Southern African region — while opening wide its doors to the world. A fair where collectors from London and Lagos, curators from New York and Nairobi, will come not to extract, but to encounter. Not to define, but to listen,” said Mpfunya. He stressed the importance of recognising and investing in Harare’s creative capital, arguing that the city has the potential to firmly establish itself as a leading cultural hub on the African continent.
Mpfunya said that strengthening the creative economy and supporting the city’s artistic community were critical steps towards positioning Harare as a city of culture capable of attracting international attention and investment. Organisers said they are committed to building on the success of the inaugural edition and expanding the fair’s reach and influence.
The 2026 edition will be hosted in a larger venue, allowing for increased participation from artists, galleries, collectives and cultural institutions.
The expanded fair is expected to attract a broader network of collectors, curators, art enthusiasts and industry stakeholders, further cementing CHAF’s growing reputation as a key platform for contemporary African art. Organisers said the fair is expected to provide a significant opportunity for Zimbabwean and regional artists to showcase their work engage new audiences and contribute to conversations shaping the future of African creative expression.
Established art fairs on the continent include FNB ART Joburg, the first international art fair in Africa, which was founded in 2008 by South African Entrepreneur Mandla Sibeko and founded in 2014 by a less visible conglomeration, the Investec Cape Town Art Fair, which has become Africa’s largest art fair.
Others are the ART X Lagos founded in 2016 by Nigerian entrepreneur and art collector Tokini Peterside-Schwebig and 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair founded by Franco-Moroccan entrepreneur Touria El Glaoui in 2013.
CHAF joined last year the ranks of created art fairs such as +234 Art Fair, founded in 2024 by Tola Akerele, founder of Soto Gallery in Nigeria, and RBM Latitudes Art Fair in South Africa, founded in 2023 by Lucy MacGarry and Roberta Coci.
