Welcome to the French Institute
of South Africa, Lesotho and Malawi

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Arts and Creative Industries

FĂȘte de la Musique 2026 brings free live music to three South African cities

The 2026 edition of FĂȘte de la Musique brought thousands of music lovers together across Cape Town, Pretoria and Johannesburg, reaffirming the festival’s place as one of South Africa’s leading […]

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Education

We promote the exchange of knowledge through a network of schools, the training of French-speaking educators, opportunities for postgraduate studies in France and an extensive library and information centre.

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Arts and Creative Industries

We aim to strengthen cultural ties and partnerships between institutions and professionals in France and the region through multi-disciplinary exchanges, events, and creative collaborations.

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Science and Innovation

Our goal is to enhance bilateral relations between France and South Africa by supporting innovation, technology, and international research developments

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Governance and Human Rights

Our work focuses on building social cohesion through championing economic inclusion, feminist diplomacy and climate change.

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Governance and Human Rights

30 years after the Truth and Reconciliation Commission: Truth be Told screening at Apartheid Museum

Thirty years after the establishment of South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), the French...

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30 years after the Truth and Reconciliation Commission: Truth be Told screening at Apartheid Museum

Science and Innovation

South African proptech founder wins €10,000 at Female Funding Fit Demo Day

South African entrepreneur Nomfundo Makhoba, founder and CEO of Property Fusion, was awarded €10,000 to...

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South African proptech founder wins €10,000 at Female Funding Fit Demo Day

Education

South African student Rua Mostert recognised in French-language competition

Rua Mostert, a South African participant in the Embassy of France’s English Language Assistants programme...

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South African student Rua Mostert recognised in French-language competition

Arts and Creative Industries

Dibukafé brings together conversations on literature, heritage and journalism

Throughout June and July, Dibukafé continued to provide a space for dialogue and cultural exchange,...

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Dibukafé brings together conversations on literature, heritage and journalism
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Arts and Creative Industries

Villa Lenox – The first French Artistic Residency in Southern Africa

Opening in 2028, Villa Lenox will become the new creative heartbeat of Cape Town. Spanning approximately 300 mÂČ across three exceptional live-in studios, it will welcome nine francophone artists each […]

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Calls for Applications
Education

English Language Assistants Program in France

The recruitment campaign for the English Language Teaching Assistants in France for the 2026-2027...

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Arts and Creative Industries

CALL CLOSED! Applications – Truth Lab 2026

A Franco-German initiative by French Institute of South Africa (IFAS) & Goethe-Institut South Africa...

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Création Africa

Call Closed! Call for Entrepreneurs: CrĂ©ation Africa – South Africa, Lesotho and Malawi

Deadline for application is 7 December 2025 at 23:59’ SAST After a successful first...

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Partner with us

Localised cooperation

Local cooperation is based on partnerships between French authorities (regions, departments, inter-municipalities, districts) and foreign authorities, involving human exchanges and relationships of trust. It is a pillar of French external action.

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Key Partnership Projects

Governance and Human Rights

Private: Launching Play 4 SRHR Project

Pretoria, 22 June 2023 – The Embassy of France, Kick4Life, Tackle & Umunthu Foundation...

Education

Private: French language FSPI in South Africa, Lesotho and Malawi

The launching seminar of the French language project in South Africa, Lesotho and Malawi,...

Arts and Creative Industries

IQOQO – The Art & Creative Industries Platform in South Africa

The French Institute and the French Embassy in South Africa, are excited to introduce...

Arts and Creative Industries

Private: Matrimoine exhibition demonstrates the legacy of cross-cultural exchange between France and South Africa  

Working in collaboration with French artist Laurent-Marie Joubert, South African muralists Maria Nokufa and...

Governance and Human Rights

Generation Equality Forum to drive Major Policy Reforms and Generate over $40 Billion in New Investments

Heads of State and Government, heads of international organizations, activists from civil society and...

Arts and Creative Industries

Private: Cradle of Creativity 2023 offers a feast of engaging arts for young theatre goers

The French Institute of South Africa is excited to partner with the 2023 Cradle...

Key Partners

The French Institute has a range of successful partnerships with educational and research institutions, non-governmental organisations, governmental organisations, cultural organisations and esteemed multinational organisations. We are committed to building long-term, mutually beneficial relationships with partners who provide a vital mutual transfer of ideas and support to help us reach our shared cooperation goals between France, South Africa, Lesotho and Malawi. Partner with us today.

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On 29 March 2026, FĂȘte de la Musique was presented in Cape Town for the first time, as part of Bree Street Sundays. Organised by the French Embassy and the French Institute of South Africa (IFAS), the event brought free live music into the public space, transforming Bree Street into an open-air platform for performance and exchange. FĂȘte de la Musique Cape Town was implemented, supported and funded in partnership with Bassline, TotalEnergies Marketing South Africa, the Alliance Française of Cape Town, Young Urbanists through Street Experiment SA, Bridges for Music, the City of Cape Town, Mission for Inner City Cape Town and Jazz in the City.
Jean Spiri, directeur de l'IFAS, s'entretient avec Georges Lory et Daphnée Breytenbach à l'occasion de leur tournée littéraire en Afrique du Sud. Pour plus d'informations sur les événements publics, veuillez consulter le site web de l'IFAS: https://frenchinstitute.org.za/arts-and-creative-industries/literature/french-south-african-literature-conversations-tour-daphnee-breytenbach-georges-lory/.
The Création Africa Top 50 is a true reflection of the depth and diversity of the cultural and creative industries! #CreationAfrica2 #FrenchInstituteSA
🎉 Meet the selected Top 50 entrepreneurs for the second edition of CrĂ©ation Africa, from South Africa. Lesotho and Malawi 🎉 Congratulations as they begin a seven-week mentorship journey with UVU Africa and its digital skills and innovation division CAPACITI. 👏
A conversation exploring the impact of the 2025 funding cuts for the HIV response, especially for at risk and LGBTQIA+ communities. The panel will consist of leading experts in the field, both within health research and operating directly on the ground with affected groups.
As part of the French Institute of South Africa’s (IFAS) 30th anniversary, this film turns to Lesotho to spotlight artists and cultural practitioners involved in co-creation initiatives supported by IFAS. Shot across the Mountain Kingdom, it features voices that have helped define the Institute’s work over the past three decades. Directed by Adam Heyns.
As part of the French Institute of South Africa’s (IFAS) 30th anniversary, a visit to Malawi captured the stories of artists and cultural practitioners involved in co-creation projects supported by IFAS. From Lilongwe to Blantyre, the film brings together voices that have contributed to the Institute’s work over the past three decades. Directed by Adam Heyns.
Join us for a special talk by Justice Edwin Cameron and Sohela Surajpal, two of the authors of the new book 'Behind Prison Walls'. Their talk will bring together Michel Foucault's reflections on the systems of discipline and South Africa's experience of incarceration, offering an original analysis: how prisons, far from serving as tools of rehabilitation, become instruments of social control and the perpetuation of inequality.
Launched in 2022 under the France 2030 initiative, the ICC Immersion programme supports French entrepreneurs in the cultural and creative industries (CCI) as they expand into global markets. Implemented in South Africa by Institut français in Paris, the French Institute of South Africa (IFAS), Business France, and Business France South Africa and Southern Africa, the initiative connects French companies with key players in South Africa’s dynamic creative sector. This year’s cohort featured nine innovative CCI companies—Allegria, Atrack (Beam for Music), Agence Culturelle PLUS (Reunion Island), Culturespaces, Fabrik & Moi (Reunion Island), France MusĂ©ums DĂ©veloppement, Jakob + MacFarlane, Memorist, and Sound Birth—representing fields from architecture and immersive technology to museum development, cultural consultancy, and music innovation. Altogether, the South African edition fostered meaningful exchange between French and South African cultural leaders, opening the door to future collaborations across the two countries.  Special thank you to the featured sites: Constitution Hill Desmond & Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation Joburg Contemporary Art Foundation Spier Wine Farm, TRACE Studios Tshimologong Digital Innovation Precinct Wesgro Wits Digital Dome Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa ----- ICC Immersion is coordinated by the SecrĂ©tariat GĂ©nĂ©ral pour l'Investissement (SGPI) and driven by the Institut Français and Business France, with support from the Banque des territoires, the French Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs. The 2025 edition is implemented by IFAS and Business France in Johannesburg.
To mark the 30th anniversary of the French Institute of South Africa (IFAS), this documentary film brings together nearly 50 voices who have been part of IFAS’s journey over the past three decades. From its beginnings in Newtown to its current home in Braamfontein, IFAS has helped shape South Africa’s cultural and creative landscape through collaboration, exchange, and long-term partnerships. Director: Adam Heyns Producer: Lali van Zuydam Music: NØ FØRMAT! Records
For 30 years IFAS has nurtured a vibrant space for dialogue, experimentation, and creative growth. It has helped tell untold stories, amplify diverse voices, and build platforms for both emerging and established talents to shine. Now, as we mark 30 years of impact and memory, we look back at three remarkable decades of collaboration, co-creation, and cultural connection. And in the words of the legendary filmmaker Ramadan Suleman, here's to the end of Episode 1—and the beginning of many more episodes in the eclectic, ever-evolving series that is IFAS. Video Production and Editing: Adam Heyns Music: NØ FØRMAT! Records
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