The Out of Africa NFT collection was initially founded in 2021 by a group of South African artists and art lovers, including JP Meyer, Norman O’Flynn, Phumulani Ntuli, Fhatuwani Mukheli and Jan-Hendrik Viljoen. The goal of the initiative was to empower African artists, support African communities and promote the use of NFTs.
In December 2021, Invictus Capital (a regulated asset manager and crypto fund provider) together with their Invictus NFT Lab (a blockchain-based NFT platform), entered into partnership with the Out of Africa NFT Collection founders.
Invictus Capital and the Invictus NFT Lab provided financial and technical support as well as marketing and promotion through their networks and social media channels. Invictus Capital and Invictus NFT Lab saw the Out of Africa NFT Collection as an opportunity to showcase the talent of African artists to a global audience and to support African communities through the proceeds from the sale of the NFTs. The project also aligned with Invictus Capital’s commitment to invest in African businesses and projects.
The Out of Africa NFT collection began accepting submissions from artists in January 2022. The following month, 118 artists were selected to participate in the collection. Artists include Abongile Sidzumo, Olivié Keck, Blessing Ngobeni, Stanislaw Trzebinski, Janko de Beer, Musa N Nxumalo, Linda Chandia, Robert Slingsby and Diana Hyslop.
In March, a series of events took place to promote the collection, including an exhibition in Cape Town, an NFT “poster” lottery and a panel discussion in Johannesburg.
“This collection is a triumph for these artists and represents some of the finest new, upcoming and established talent,”
Marelize van Zyl, Curator for the Out of Africa NFT collection
In April 2022, the NFT collection was published on OpenSea, the world’s first and largest web3 marketplace for NFTs and crypto collectibles. The collection has been featured in publications such as The New York Times, The Guardian, and Forbes, and it has been praised for its unique blend of African art and blockchain technology.
$1 million was raised through the sale of the NFTs in the collection. The following projects are reported to have received funding:
- The African Leadership Academy in South Africa received $250,000. The Academy is a boarding school that provides education to gifted students from across Africa. The academy received funding to support its programs in entrepreneurship, leadership, and social impact.
- The Afromedics organization in Kenya received $100,000. Afromedics is a non-profit organization that provides medical care to people in rural Kenya. The organization received funding to support its programs in maternal and child health, HIV/AIDS prevention, and malaria control.
- The Ubuntu Education Fund in South Africa received $50,000. The Fund is a non-profit organization that provides scholarships to students from low-income families in South Africa. The organization received funding to support its programs in early childhood education, secondary education, and tertiary education.
- The Africell Foundation in Sierra Leone received $50,000. The Foundation is a non-profit organization that provides education, health care, and economic opportunities to people in Sierra Leone. The foundation received funding to support its programs in education, health care, and economic empowerment.
- A fund to support artists and entrepreneurs in Africa received $100,000. A scholarship program for students from low-income families in Africa received $100,000. The public awareness campaign about the importance of education in Africa received $50,000.
The Out of Africa NFT collection was a groundbreaking South African project that changed the way that African art is seen and appreciated around the world. The collection is a testament to the talent of African artists, and it is a powerful example of how NFTs can be used to support African communities.
