Leading contemporary art gallery WHATIFTHEWORLD, and esteemed collectible-design platform Southern Guild, both firmly established in Cape Town, are set to launch a new gallery in Rosebank’s Keyes Art Mile precinct.

The 300-square-metre contemporary exhibition space, in the StudioMAS designed Trumpet building, is due to open this August and heralds a partnership between art dealers Justin Rhodes and Ashleigh McLean, and design gallerists Trevyn and Julian McGowan.

With both galleries strongly focused on representing artists and designers from around Africa, this collaboration is expected to be a groundbreaking year-round showcase of the best work from the continent.

“Johannesburg is an influential business and cultural hub, and its geographic location and reputation for creativity make it the perfect location for this exhibition space that will be a reflection of what’s happening art-and design-wise in Africa,” says Justin Rhodes, adding that artists represented will hail from as far as Senegal, Ghana, Burkina Faso, Nigeria and Mali. “What we’re excited to show is a continental perspective.”