The success of an African visual artist, no matter how talented, is like a lottery. The odds are stacked against him with a near improbable chance of succeeding. Institutional art patrons and supporters are few and far between which makes for a tiny market for African art. The few galleries and exhibition spaces that exist tend to be small, difficult to get into and concentrated largely in the capital cities. National art institutions have been underfunded over the years with many now in a deplorable state. Most countries do not have a national art collection. Although the position has improved over the last ten years, the grim reality is that artists lack access to galleries, collectors and exhibition opportunities and as a result, are excluded from opportunities to profit from their talents. Additionally, a disconnect between the education that art schools provide and the art scene means that although formally educated artists receive sound technical education, they are often naive about the commercial aspects of art, the global art market or the fundamentals of the business of art. It is therefore unsurprising that most young artists, unable to build sustainable careers in art, hang up their paint brushed and seek alternative careers. Yet the role art plays in the economic development is not in doubt. The global art market grew to $67.8 billion in 2022, exceeding pre-pandemic levels1. The contribution that art makes in shaping critical problem thinking skills has been acknowledged in the global educational community with a widespread movement migrating to STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics) from the historic STEM. Ironically, the last fifteen years have seen unprecedented growth of African art on the international stage and the few artists who have been able to break through have made immense fortunes. With the right support and exposure to opportunities, many young African artists can be developed to compete against the best anywhere in the world and to build economically rewarding lifelong careers in art. This would allow many more African artists and their economies to participate in and benefit from the renaissance of African art.