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Telkom, UJ launch design competition

Telkom has teamed up with the Department of Graphic Design of the University of Johannesburg to launch a competition inviting second year graphic design students to create graphic work around the theme of "Telkom Convergence."

The competition is in line with the student's curriculum for the subject Independent Practice. Students were briefed recently to create graphic works in any form they select including: sculpture, poster, art on paper, painting, mixed media and electronic medium. As part of Telkom's initiative to promote recycling through the visual arts, the students were given blue boxes and frames – donated by the Telkom Art Collection - to express what "Telkom Convergence" means to them through graphic design.

The competition work will be photographed and the photos will be placed on Telkom's Facebook page for judging. Fifteen finalists will be selected from the student group of 38. The UJ lecturers will select the finalists and their works will be uploaded to the Facebook page.

Final judging will be conducted by a panel of lecturers and the Telkom art curator to select three overall winners who will be awarded a mobile device.

"The initiative will see students gaining valuable experience of working for a client and will initiate them into the business world. This collaboration is an opportunity for Telkom to engage with the youth as well as show our support for a tertiary institution," say Sophia Van Wyk, Telkom's Art Curator.

"We are proud to be part of a partnership that lends itself to our continued investment in the future of the cultural and visual heritage of South Africa," concludes Van Wyk.

About Telkom Art Collection

Since Telkom started its art collection in 1992, it has grown into one of the finest, most diverse collections of contemporary art in corporate South Africa, consisting of more than 1000 artworks.

The collection includes paintings, drawings, sculptures, tapestries, ceramics, etchings, photography, silk-screens, woodblocks, linocuts, monoprints and lithographies.

As a proudly South African company, Telkom only collects pieces by South African artists and African artists. Currently, the collection features artworks by over 400 artists, some of them well established and some still up-and-coming.

Among the best-known artists whose work Telkom has bought are Walter Battiss, Bonnie Ntshalintshali, Willem Boshoff, and David Nthubu Koloane, all of whom achieved local and international recognition.

Telkom is committed to unleashing human potential through connectivity. Similarly, art is a tool to communicate across language, race and cultural barriers.

Telkom is a leading communications services provider in South Africa. We had consolidated operating revenue of R16.8 billion and normalised profit after tax of R1, 683 million for the period ended 30 September 2015. Total assets amounted to R41.9 billion and equity attributable to the owners of Telkom to R23.5 billion as of 30 September 2015. The group generated normalised free cash flow of R1.4 billion for the period ended 30 September 2015.