A Platform with Purpose

In his recent article for Forbes África Lusófona, João Boavida doesn’t mince words: African art doesn’t need charity. It needs infrastructure, respect, and visibility. This belief is the cornerstone of Afrikanizm Art, the platform he founded to support African and Afro-descendant artists through curatorial support, fair commerce, and digital reach.

The core of Afrikanizm’s philosophy is simple but powerful: give the rod, teach the cast, and build the marketplace. It’s not about one-off support—it’s about long-term transformation (forbesafricalusofona.com).

From Vision to Results

With a 25% commission model, Afrikanizm has already generated over €500,000 in sales, of which €375,000 went directly to artists and their families. The platform supports 200+ artists across 18 African countries—a growing movement that operates with transparency, trust, and measurable results.

Afrikanizm doesn’t only aim to sell—it trains, empowers, and professionalises. The artists aren’t treated as “emerging” anomalies; they are treated as authors of culture, ready to enter the global conversation on equal terms.

Capacity Building & Mentorship

Boavida’s model emphasises mentorship, curatorship, branding, and international exposure. In the Forbes piece, he underlines how these tools help artists not only survive—but scale their vision and take ownership of their careers. “Professionalising is a form of liberation,” he writes—a powerful reframing of what it means to support art in Africa today.

Ambitions for 2025 and Beyond

Afrikanizm’s next phase is ambitious. Targets include:

• 2,000 active artists on the platform

• 12 international exhibitions per year

• 200 gallery partnerships globally

• New presences in Brazil, the U.S., and Dubai
  These are not abstract goals—they reflect a vision of market-building rooted in African talent and diaspora leadership.

Boavida ends the Forbes article with a challenge to investors and institutions: support artists not as exceptions, but as protagonists in the global art ecosystem.

Final Reflections

João Boavida’s piece in Forbes África Lusófona reframes the conversation around African art—from aid to agency, from visibility to value. Through Afrikanizm Art, he’s proving that it’s not enough to admire the talent—we must build the structures that allow it to thrive.