women in street art incubator
WISA (Women in Street Art) was created in 2023 by artist, muralist and Curatica founder Nonkanyiso Mbonambi as a direct response to the lack of women actively painting murals in public spaces. Recognizing the untapped potential and unique perspectives that women could bring to street art, Mbonambi developed this innovative incubator program to break down barriers in the male-dominated field.
What began as a personal mission to see more women claiming space on walls has evolved into a transformative movement that combines technical mural training with business fundamentals, empowering women to not only create impactful public art but build sustainable creative careers.
Through WISA, Mbonambi is reshaping the street art landscape one woman artist at a time, proving that when given the opportunity, women can transform both communities and economies through their artistic vision.
Building on our successful 2024 pilot that trained 18 women artists in KZN, WISA 2025 expands to Johannesburg with an ambitious goal: train 50 women across 2 cohorts in the art and business of street murals
support 2025 - Johannesburg
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Technical Mastery
Professional mural painting techniques, color theory, spray can mastery, and large-scale design execution.
Business Training
End-to-end business education covering pricing, client management, contracts, and sustainable income generation.
Digital Skills
iPad illustration, Procreate, Illustrator software, digital portfolio development, and online marketing.
Mentorship
Direct access to internationally acclaimed mural artists and successful creative entrepreneurs.
Social Impact
Creating murals with meaningful social messages that address community issues and cultural preservation.
Career Launch
Post-program support, commission opportunities, and access to festivals and global creative networks.
Our 2024 pilot program in Durban, KZN, trained 19 women artists who are now running their creative businesses and earning sustainable incomes.
During the programme they were mentored by our founder and fellow muralist Nonka Mbonambi, street artist lelo the art, illustrator Sino Ngwane and they got to paint 2 murals on gender based violence at the taxi rank and the murals has over 10000 people seeing them daily.
Ready to empower 50 women artists and transform communities through street art?
Sponsor
✓ Exclusive naming rights
✓ Logo on all murals
✓ Documentary content rights
✓ Direct participant engagement
Program Partner
✓ Co-branding opportunities
✓ Content sharing rights
✓ Community engagement events
✓ ESG impact reporting
Supporting Partner
✓ Recognition in materials
✓ Social media mentions
✓ Access to talent pipeline
✓ Impact measurement reports