Artist Relief Grants – Opportunities for South African Creatives Affected by COVID-19
Artist Relief Grants from the Business and Arts South Africa (BASA) will be made available for South African creatives who have been affected by COVID-19., Post a Comment
- Provider
- Various
- Host country
- South Africa
- Region
- Africa
About this scholarship
[starportillo](https://scholarshipsforafricans.com/author/beyondstellar/)
[July 6, 2021August 2, 2021](https://scholarshipsforafricans.com/2021/07/06/)
Artist Relief Grants from the Business and Arts South Africa (BASA) will be made available for South African creatives who have been affected by COVID-19. The aid shall provide opportunities for South Africans to offset the loss of income and the consequent spike in expenses following the national lockdown and other emergency measures.
### **What is the BASA Artist Relief Grants?**
BASA is a public benefit organization committed to promoting sustainability and relevance of the arts in society. In addition, it also offers innovative programs that provide and support knowledge transfer, skills development, and training in the cultural and creative sectors.
As a joint initiative between the government and private sector, BASA is funded by an allocation from the Department of Arts and Culture. While BASA already has existing supporting grants, the Artist Relief Grants have only been established last year in response to the growing need for support of South Africans affected by COVID-19.
This opportunity for South Africans is specifically aimed toward artists who have been diagnosed with COVID-19 and/or are being treated for COVID-19 symptoms. Additionally, the relief grants also include artists who are experiencing a loss of income due to cancellations or postponements of confirmed engagements in South Africa as a result of being infected with COVID-19 or due to the National State of Disaster and subsequent lockdown.
**\| CHECK OUT OTHER GRANTS:** [Rotary Foundation Global Grants and Scholarships for Africans in Development Studies](https://scholarshipsforafricans.com/rotary-foundation-global-grants-and-scholarships-for-africans-in-development-studies/)
The BASA Artist Relief Grants shall provide opportunities for South Africans to offset the loss of income and the consequent spike in expenses following the national lockdown and other emergency measures.\| **Photo by [cottonbro](https://www.pexels.com/@cottonbro?utm_content=attributionCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=pexels) from [Pexels](https://www.pexels.com/photo/health-workers-wearing-face-mask-3957987/?utm_content=attributionCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=pexels)**
### **What Opportunities Can Be Funded?**
BASA will consider applications from individual South African artists for one-off, short-term financial aid for COVID-19-related medical care and/or prescription medicines.
Furthermore, the organization will cover proven medical expenses to a maximum value of R10, 000. Copies of medical certificates, prescriptions, and receipts for the purchase of medication specific to the treatment of the COVID-19 infection will be required.
On another note, the Artist Relief Grants support up to 50% of proven loss of income due to a canceled contract, to a maximum value of R10, 000. However, a one-page letter from the applicant’s client/employer detailing a high-level overview of the project, copies of contracts, official letters, communication, and any other relevant supporting documentation will be required.
Lastly, BASA will decide a percentage of proven loss of income due to the postponement of a contract. For this, a one-page letter from the applicant’s client/employer detailing a high-level overview of the project, copies of contracts, official letters, communication, and any other relevant supporting documentation will be required.
**\| CHECK OUT OTHER GRANTS:** [Sci-Tech Seed Grant for New African Principal Investors (SG-NAPI)](https://scholarshipsforafricans.com/sci-tech-seed-grant-for-young-african-scientists/)
### **Eligibility of Africans Affected by COVID-19**
Please note that the BASA Artist Relief Grants will assist individual artists, freelance creatives, or independent contractors from South Africa. In order to qualify for the said opportunities for South Africans, the applicants must be:
· The BASA Artist Relief Grants will assist the individual artist, freelance creative, or independent contractor.
**Applicants must be:**
· Practicing artists, whether emerging or established, at least 18 years of age, with proven work experience of at least 12 months in any arts/culture/creative genre and who are
· South African citizens with valid ID documents, or Practising artists, whether emerging or established, at least 21 years of age with proven work experience in any arts/culture/creative genre for at least three years and who have had permanent residence in South Africa for at least 12 months with a valid passport and the applicable visa.
· Preference will be given to applicants who have been hospitalized with COVID-19.
The organization will cover proven medical expenses to a maximum value of R10, 000. **\| Photo by [August de Richelieu](https://www.pexels.com/@august-de-richelieu?utm_content=attributionCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=pexels) from [Pexels](https://www.pexels.com/photo/business-people-wearing-face-masks-and-talking-4427957/?utm_content=attributionCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=pexels)**
**Exclusions:**
· Organizations, collectives, or any other group of artists are not eligible for these grants.
Members of such groups who have been affected may only apply for an Artist Relief Grant in their personal capacity (as per guidelines and required criteria). However, organizations and their business sponsors are still invited to apply for Supporting Grants through regular channels.
· Artists with permanent employment of any kind are not eligible for these grants.
The Artist Relief Grant is specifically aimed at freelancers or independent contractors whose sole income source is their creative work and who do not have a regular salary source or institutional support.
· Similar to Supporting Grant eligibility, projects or events outside of South Africa are not eligible for these grants.
The Artist Relief Grant will only consider applications for loss of income within South Africa.
· Similar to Supporting Grant eligibility, film and television projects are not eligible for these grants.
The Artist Relief Grant will only consider applications for film festivals, not production or other film and television project costs, as these are the mandate of the National Film and Video Foundation, which also receives funding from the Department of Sport, Arts, and Culture.
_Grants will be awarded on a first-come basis to the first 67 eligible applicants and will close thereafter. For more details about the application process, you may visit [BASA’s official website](https://basa.co.za/grants/artist-relief-grants/)._
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Eligibility criteria
Always cross-check eligibility against the sponsor's official site before applying — sponsor rules can change between intakes.
- Citizen or permanent resident of an eligible African country
- Willing to study in South Africa
- Strong academic record — typically a minimum GPA equivalent to a UK 2:1 / US 3.3
- English-language proficiency demonstrated by IELTS, TOEFL or an MOI letter
- Two academic or professional references able to speak to your potential
Required documents
A planning baseline drawn from how 90%+ of African scholarship sponsors structure their checklist. The sponsor's portal is the source of truth for any single application.
- Valid international passport (bio page scan)
- Most recent academic transcripts (sealed or e-verified copies)
- Curriculum vitae / résumé (1–2 pages, reverse-chronological)
- Personal statement or motivation letter (500–1,000 words, tailored to the sponsor)
- Two to three reference letters (academic for students, professional for working applicants)
- Proof of English proficiency (IELTS, TOEFL or Duolingo) — Medium-of-Instruction letter may substitute for Anglophone-Africa graduates
- Passport-sized photograph meeting ICAO biometric standards
- Country-of-origin proof (national ID or birth certificate) — required by many Africa-focused funders
Deadline timeline
The sponsor has not published a fixed deadline yet. Use the milestones below as a generic 12-month plan; substitute dates once the intake window opens.
- 12 months out
Register for tests (IELTS/TOEFL/SAT/GRE), shortlist 3–5 universities, identify referees.
- 6 months out
Sit your tests, draft a personal statement, request transcripts and confirm reference letters.
- 3 months out
Finalise essays, upload supporting documents, complete the online application portal.
- 1 month out
Final review, double-check uploaded files, submit a week before the deadline to avoid portal issues.
- Application deadline
Submit by 23:59 in the sponsor's stated time zone — usually local to the sponsor, not your country.
Frequently asked questions
Who can apply for the Artist Relief Grants – Opportunities for South African Creatives Affected by COVID-19?+
Applicants must be eligible African nationals applying at the the stated level level, meet the academic and English-language requirements set by Various, and be able to relocate to South Africa for the duration of the programme.
Is the Artist Relief Grants – Opportunities for South African Creatives Affected by COVID-19 fully funded?+
Funding model: Funding type varies — check the official site. Where listed as fully funded, the award typically covers tuition, monthly stipend, health insurance and round-trip airfare. Always confirm the latest funding breakdown on the sponsor's official page.
When is the application deadline?+
The application deadline is varies by intake — see the official site. Submit at least one week early — sponsor portals frequently slow or fail in the final 24 hours, and late submissions are not accepted under any circumstances.
What documents do I need to apply?+
At minimum: passport bio page, academic transcripts, CV, personal statement, two to three references, and an English-language test score (IELTS, TOEFL or Duolingo). Research-led Masters and PhD applications also require a research proposal and a writing sample.
How can I improve my chance of winning?+
Apply early, tailor every essay to the specific sponsor (do not recycle a generic statement), secure at least one reference who knows your work in detail, and apply to two or three additional scholarships in parallel — never rely on a single application.