Updated 28 October 2026
Art Auction East Africa 2026 takes place tonight, Wednesday 28 October 2026, at 7pm EAT at Circle Art Gallery, Victoria Square, Riara Road, Nairobi. It is the 14th edition of the sale, run by Circle Art in association with the South African auction house Strauss & Co, with 68 lots split evenly between modern and contemporary works by artists from nine countries. You can bid in the room, online through the Strauss & Co live platform, or by absentee bid, but you must register first.
Updated 28 October 2026. Sources: artauctioneastafrica.com (auction page and lot list) and straussart.co.za (auction listing, checked 28 Oct 2026). Estimates are the organisers’ published estimates, not prices.
Art Auction East Africa 2026 at a glance
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Date and time | Wednesday 28 October 2026, 7pm EAT |
| Venue | Circle Art Gallery, Victoria Square, Riara Road, Nairobi |
| Lots | 68 (modern and contemporary, artists from nine countries) |
| Auction house | Strauss & Co, with Circle Art (live virtual auction) |
| Ways to bid | In the room, online (Strauss & Co live bidding), absentee or phone bid via the registration form |
| Registration queries | danda@circleartagency.com |
| Viewing | Lots were on view at Circle Art Gallery from 14 to 27 October 2026 |
Which artists and lots are in the 2026 sale?
The organisers list Kenyan artists Samuel Wanjau and Meek Gichugu; Ugandan artists Fabian Mpagi, Francis Nnaggenda and Kefa Frederick Sempangi; Sudanese artists Ahmed Shibrain, Salah Elmur and Rashid Diab; and Tanzanian artists Kiure Francis Msangi and Edward Saidi Tingatinga. Works by the Nigerian modernist Bruce Onobrakpeya and the Congolese painter Cheri Cherin appear at the sale for the first time. The featured image on the auction site is Ancent Soi’s The Migration (2005), oil on canvas, 52.5 x 83 cm.
A selection of published pre-sale estimates from the organisers’ lot list:
| Lot | Artist and work | Estimate (KSh) |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | Ancent Soi, Untitled (Zebras), 2011 | 400,000 to 500,000 |
| 15 | Bruce Onobrakpeya, Oyo Weavers, 1975 (edition 15/50) | 70,000 to 120,000 |
| 20 | Edward Saidi Tingatinga, Untitled (Landscape with Lion and Bird), 1971 | 1,200,000 to 1,600,000 |
| 21 | Kiure Francis Msangi, My First Wife, 1987 | 900,000 to 1,500,000 |
| 22 | Kiure Francis Msangi, Mt Kilimanjaro at Dawn (edition 13/197) | 270,000 to 500,000 |
| 33 | Salah Elmur, Untitled (Seated Figure), 2019 | 1,300,000 to 2,600,000 |
| 35 | Ahmed Shibrain, The Tempest, c.1993-1998 | 1,450,000 to 2,400,000 |
| 47 | Samuel Wanjau, Untitled (Bird with Chicks) | 900,000 to 1,200,000 |
The range is wide. Editioned prints by established names start below KSh 150,000 on estimate, while the top paintings are estimated above KSh 1 million. Final prices can land below, inside or well above the estimate.
What sold at the 2025 auction
The 2025 sale on 5 November 2025 was the first held with Strauss & Co. In its report dated 7 November 2025, Strauss & Co said the auction earned KSh 29,666,980 (US$229,727) from 52 lots sold, a sell-through rate just short of 80 per cent. The top lot was Msangi’s Baobab Under the Red Moon (1968), which sold for KSh 3,522,000 (US$27,271), more than double its estimate. That is a useful benchmark: strong East African modernists can beat their estimates, but around one lot in five did not sell.
How to bid at Art Auction East Africa
- Register before the sale. Use the “Register to bid” link on the Strauss & Co auction page or the Registration & Bidding Form on artauctioneastafrica.com. Registration needs identity details and is checked by the auction house, so do it well before 7pm.
- Read the Conditions of Sale. The PDF on the auction site sets the buyer’s premium, payment deadlines, currency and collection rules. Your total cost is the hammer price plus the buyer’s premium and any applicable taxes, so read it before you set a ceiling.
- Choose how you will bid. Bid in the room at Circle Art Gallery, live online on the Strauss & Co platform, or leave an absentee bid (a maximum the auctioneer bids for you) using the absentee bidding form.
- Set your maximum in shillings. Estimates are shown in KSh with US dollar equivalents. Decide your top hammer price, then work back from the premium so the all-in figure fits your budget.
- Pay and collect. Successful buyers get an invoice; payment and collection follow the Conditions of Sale. Ask about export paperwork before bidding if the work will leave Kenya.
Is buying at auction a good way to start collecting?
An auction gives you a public price, a documented provenance and a condition report on request, which a private sale may not. The trade-offs are the buyer’s premium, the pace of bidding and no cooling-off period once the hammer falls. First-time buyers often start with editioned prints or works on paper, ask the specialists for condition reports, and set a strict limit. If you want to see the market first, galleries in Nairobi sell works at fixed prices year-round.
Art sits alongside other Weekend Ledger money-and-leisure guides. For other prices we have checked in Nairobi, see golf green fees in Nairobi, padel courts and prices and coworking day passes compared. Collectors who use relationship banking can compare offers in our guide to private banking services in Kenya.
We will update this page with the 2026 results once the organisers publish them.
Official links: Art Auction East Africa and Strauss & Co auction listing.
Frequently asked questions
When is Art Auction East Africa 2026?
It is on Wednesday 28 October 2026 at 7pm EAT at Circle Art Gallery, Victoria Square, Riara Road, Nairobi, and it is also broadcast as a live virtual auction by Strauss & Co.
How many lots are in the 2026 sale?
There are 68 lots, split evenly between modern and contemporary works, by artists from nine countries, according to the organisers.
Can I bid online from outside Nairobi?
Yes. Register through the Strauss & Co auction page to bid live online, or submit an absentee bid using the official bidding form before the sale.
What was the top lot at the 2025 auction?
Kiure Francis Msangi’s Baobab Under the Red Moon (1968) sold for KSh 3,522,000 (US$27,271), according to Strauss & Co’s report of 7 November 2025.
Is the estimate the price I will pay?
No. The estimate is the auction house’s guide to the likely hammer price. You pay the hammer price plus the buyer’s premium and charges set in the Conditions of Sale.
Prefer WhatsApp? Follow Business Radar on WhatsApp
Weekly, free. We only use your email for this newsletter and you can unsubscribe in one click. Privacy policy.
