Cape Town’s Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa will open a new exhibition and launch three new children’s books on Saturday 25 April 2026, as the museum’s BMW Centre for Art Education celebrates the second iteration of its African children’s book series, ‘The Stories that Ran Away’. The exhibition runs until Sunday 7 June 2026 on Level -1 at the V&A Waterfront museum.
The launch builds on the success of four titles published in 2024, which reimagined creation stories and mythologies from across the African continent. The three new additions deepen that project significantly.
The three new books
The new titles are Nkanyamba, One World, One Family, and Why Fire and Water Are Enemies, all written by Meridian Berndt.
Each is brought to life by a different illustrator: Isabelle Grobler illustrated One World, One Family; Jax Lamb worked on Why Fire and Water Are Enemies; and Vix Venter and Zhi Zulu collaborated on Nkanyamba. The stories explore humanity’s relationship with the natural world and reflect on our responsibility toward the earth, drawing on African myths and creation narratives.
The original four titles in the serie; The Tale of Mouse and the Stories that Ran Away; First Light; Nya Nya Bulembu; and Khvum and the Crocodile Woman, are also represented in the exhibition through original and digital artwork.
What the exhibition looks like
The exhibition is installed in the museum’s tunnel spaces on Level -1, creating an immersive environment where children can move through a world of strange creatures and enchanting characters drawn directly from the books. Original artworks from all seven titles in the series are on display.
A particular highlight is a body of work created by learners from Steenberg Primary School, produced during dedicated art lessons facilitated by museum educators from the BMW Centre for Art Education. For some of those learners, the sessions were their first experience working with art materials.
The day’s programme
The 25 April launch runs in two parts. A media preview at 10:00 includes a panel discussion on the project’s curatorial and educational vision, with the writer and illustrators sharing their experience of co-creating the books.
From 15:00, the event opens as a public celebration for children and families. Cape Town-based Ugandan author Philippa Namutebi Kabali-Kagwa, whose memoir Flame and Song was published in 2016 and who has spoken at TEDxTableMountain, delivers a guest talk. Alumni of Magnet Theatre, an independent physical theatre company focused on youth development, perform characters from the books through movement, costume and play.
Installations and a photo booth extend across the museum. The books are available for purchase at the Zeitz MOCAA Shop, and the writer and illustrators will sign copies after the event.
Why this matters
Liesl Hartman, Head of the BMW Centre for Art Education, frames the project in terms of legacy. “At the heart of this children’s book series is the legacy we hope to build by profiling stories from Africa for a younger generation,” she said.
“We want children to see themselves reflected in these narratives and to take pride in stories that originate on the continent. These books are not only about storytelling; they affirm that African stories matter and deserve to be celebrated and carried forward by a new generation.”
In November 2025, Zeitz MOCAA partnered with African Literary Agency to bring the series to a global audience, with Founder Bieke van Aggelen and children’s book agent Mercy Kirui leading that effort.
Further public programming follows through the year, including a Teachers’ Walkabout in May and A Night at the Museum for children during the June school holidays.
