'Scramble' for pieces of Africa

A new "scramble for Africa" is under way - and it's not a rush on diamonds and gold but rather on local works of art.

International auctioneer Bonhams says global demand is driving up prices.

At an auction in October last year, Bonhams sold painter Irma Stern's Still life with African Woman for £963000.

Alexis Preller's painting The Creation of Adam II was knocked down for £327000 and Gerard Sekoto's The Kitchen Table for £159000.

"This scramble for art is making art a viable occupation for many artists in Africa, and bringing hope and excitement in African countries," said Bonhams director Giles Peppiatt.

The auction house's top South African sale was Irma Stern's Arab Priest, which went to the Qatari Museum Authority for a national record of R34-million in March 2011.

Peppiatt said the surge in sale prices started about nine years ago when a client gave the company a self-portrait by Gerard Sekoto to sell.

The painting was given an estimate of £20000 but sold for £120000.

Bonhams last year accomplished several world records - a Ferrari 250 GTO for £28-million, a blue diamond for £7.2-million and an oil by Jean-Honoré Fragonard for £17.2-million.

Art expert Stephan Welz was more measured in his assessment, saying there wasn't so much a scramble for South African art as a steady increase in interest.

"Most of the local art is actually bought by South Africans," said Welz.

Founder of Artlogic, Ross Douglas, agreed that interest was steadily rising.

University of Cape Town lecturer in art history and visual culture Nomusa Makhubu had also noticed the surge in South African art sales - and said it wasn't confined to "older", early 20th-century artists, such as Stern.

"More South African art is being shown and sold internationally - alongside the European counterparts - giving South African art more platform and recognition," said Makhubu.