Street art across Africa has matured from informal, often undocumented expression into a dynamic economic sector. The global art market in 2024 registered a value approximating US $57 billion, with post-war and contemporary art generating just over US $4 billion, while ultra-contemporary works by African-born artists accounted for a combined annual value exceeding US $72 million. Although Africa’s share remains modest, under 1 percent of the global art market, it is growing steadily as investors, institutions, and collectors shift from questioning its relevance to recognising its significance.
While the wider art market saw a downturn, fine art auction sales declined by roughly 12 percent in 2024, African art has shown both promise and volatility. Auction sales of Modern, post-war, contemporary, and ultra-contemporary works by African-born artists fell from US $197 million in 2022 to US $77.2 million in 2024, yet certain artists have defied the trend. Julie Mehretu, for example, topped sales in 2023 with works generating US $21.7 million, including a record-breaking US $9.5 million sale at Sotheby’s New York. Female artists have also outperformed their male counterparts in recent years, accounting for over half of auction turnover in 2024, a remarkable shift backed by a 130 percent rise since 2015.
READ ALSO: Inside Somalia’s Camel Milk Industry: What Comes Next?
Digital Windows and Urban Gateways
The digital transformation of the art market is redefining how African street art reaches its audience. More than half of global collector activity now occurs online, with lower-priced works, often under US $5,000, making up an increasing share of transactions. This proportion rose from 48.3 percent in 2022 to 63.2 percent in 2024, a shift that is drawing in younger, more diverse buyers who may not have previously engaged with the art market at all. For many, social media platforms and online galleries provide their first introduction to African street art, creating a direct line between artist and collector without the traditional gallery as intermediary.
In parallel, Africa’s presence in global art fairs is strengthening. ART X Lagos, established in 2016, has grown into West Africa’s most prominent art fair and will mark its tenth edition in 2025. Africa Basel, which debuted in Switzerland the same year, has already placed African street and contemporary artists alongside the world’s leading names, affirming their place in the highest tiers of the art market calendar.
On the ground, street art is no longer merely an artistic statement, it is a driver of urban renewal. Cities such as Accra, Lagos, Johannesburg, and Abidjan have integrated murals and installations into their public planning strategies. In Accra, the Chale Wote Street Art Festival draws tens of thousands of visitors annually, injecting revenue into local hotels, restaurants, and informal traders. Nairobi’s municipal collaborations with artists have turned underpasses, bridges, and neglected walls into curated cultural spaces that foster civic pride while improving pedestrian engagement.
African street art’s rise is intertwined with international cultural policy. UNESCO’s 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions frames creative industries as critical to social cohesion, youth employment, and economic development. The African Union’s Agenda 2063 echoes this stance, positioning cultural and creative sectors as pillars for economic diversification. These frameworks recognise that street art, far from being a peripheral practice, can contribute directly to Sustainable Development Goals related to sustainable cities, inclusive growth, and reduced inequality.
Yet the sector faces structural challenges. Arts infrastructure in much of Africa remains fragmented, with limited formal institutions dedicated to street art preservation, curation, or commercialisation. Funding is inconsistent, and while private collectors are playing a growing role, access to finance for artists, particularly those outside major cities—remains a hurdle. Regulatory restrictions on public space in some regions also limit the expansion of street art initiatives, while economic instability, inflation, and currency fluctuations add further complexity to sustaining a viable market.
The Shifting Centre of Influence
While the market remains concentrated in a handful of cities and hubs, leadership is shifting towards artists and regions with compelling narratives. Julie Mehretu’s dominance is matched by the collective rise of female artists, who captured 52.8 percent of African art auction turnover in 2024 with a combined value of approximately US $22 million. This is not only a reflection of changing collector interests but also of increased institutional recognition, as galleries and museums diversify their programming to reflect a broader spectrum of voices.
East African creators are also gaining prominence. Kenya’s emerging muralists are using street walls as both canvases and billboards for social commentary, while Tanzanian artists are merging traditional aesthetics with bold, urban-scale interventions. In South Africa, long a powerhouse of the continent’s contemporary art, street art festivals in Cape Town and Johannesburg are bridging community engagement with tourism-driven economies.
From Public Walls to Economic Pillars
Forecasts suggest the global art market could grow by 5–7 percent by the end of 2025. For African street art, this represents a rare opening to solidify its position, not merely as a cultural expression, but as a viable sector within the broader creative economy. Digital platforms will continue to play a decisive role, offering visibility far beyond local geographies. The African diaspora, increasingly influential in shaping international cultural trends, is likely to drive further patronage, connecting artists in cities such as Dakar and Kampala to collectors in London, New York, and Dubai.
For this momentum to translate into sustained growth, policy alignment will be essential. Investment in public art infrastructure, artist residency programmes, and cross-border collaborations could allow African street art to mature into a robust export sector. It could also strengthen the continent’s cultural diplomacy, positioning its cities as creative capitals in the same way that street art has transformed districts in Berlin, São Paulo, or Melbourne.
In the end, the painted wall in an African city is no longer a fleeting gesture; it is a permanent statement of economic intent. Each mural is a visual contract, between artist and community, between city and visitor, between Africa and the world, asserting that the continent’s creative voices are not only present but indispensable to the global conversation on art, identity, and value.
