Maps Maponyane on living life beautifully and his passion for collecting art

Maps Maponyane is well known as a TV presenter, actor, entrepreneur and philanthropist.

But he has another string to his bow - the TV personality is a keen art collector.

Sara-Jayne Makwala King chats to Maponyane about this passion as he visits the Mother City for the Investec Cape Town Art Fair, the biggest art fair on the African continent.

The 2024 edition, taking place next weekend, features over 100 leading galleries and more than 500 artists from four continents.

Maponyane describes himself as a keen art collector, rather than investor. It's an interest that took root at a young age already, he says.

"It's a lot less about the investing in the monetary sense for me, and more possibly investing in my own space and my peace and my serenity, in my ability to try and live life as beautifully as possible by surrounding myself with things that make me feel good in the most simple ways."

"It's more investing in the love and personality attached to people's creative abilities and how that can actually elevate my own space and my own life... and inspire and motivate me, and kind of be excited about each and every day when you're surrounded by these things."

Maps Maponyane

Maponyane also emphasizes the importance of celebrating local art, and supporting the work of local artists.

He talks about this as almost a symbiotic process.

"You're able to support their work while, in a way, using it to be able to just enjoy your life a whole lot more - it's a wonderful, fluid, simultaneous motion for me that I love that just becomes complementary."

Maponyane remembers how he's always been curious about how things are made from a young age, and says he is drawn to the artisanal.

"Even to this day I consider myself quite a purist... but I also love technology, so I'm not just a purist who's also a luddite! I'm someone who really just loves the idea of, I guess, hands coming together to produce something that someone feels emotionally and is driven by... And I've always been fascinated by wonderful colours, by how art can make you feel..."

"I bought my first piece when I was only around 20 or 21, I think from a flea market for about R200... and slowly-slowly got exposed to more of the world of different art and artists especially in the African space - I'm obsessed with African art and African artists."

Maps Maponyane