The development of contemporary art in southern Africa over the past fifty years has to be seen against the background of the political and social upheavals which have afflicted the region. The apartheid regime in South Africa, the civil wars in Mozambique and Angola, and the post-colonial backlash in Zimbabwe have been both a source of inspiration and of division amongst southern African artists.

The ‘Tributaries’ exhibition curated by Ricky Burnett in Johannesburg in 1985 drew together black and white artists from different backgrounds, some with a formal art education and sophisticated style such as William Kentridge, others from a background of traditional arts with no formal training such as Jackson Hlungwani.

Burnett demonstrated that the apparent divisions of artists by race or background, town or country, were both misleading and artificial. Though some of the old divisions still remain, nowadays art works draw inspiration from many sources, including the need to educate society on issues such as racial inequality, women's rights, and the need to fight against the spread of HIV/AIDS.

Among the first southern African artists to gain international recognition was the printmaker John Muafangejo of Namibia.who addresses the region’s history of conflict, and the ambitions of southern Africa peoples.