The Standard Bank Group's sponsorship of a comprehensive African art collection is evidence of the Group's commitment to the cultural heritage of this continent. Since 1978, the Group, in collaboration with the University of the Witwatersrand, has committed significant resources to developing a collection that is a leader in its field. The extensive African art collection is of considerable historical significance for the insights it offers into development in Africa's indigenous culture. In addition to serving as an academic resource, the collection is open to the public and attracts many local and international visitors. Although the initial focus of the collection was on art from central, western and southern Africa, the decade since 1985 has witnessed greater emphasis on art from South Africa. This shift has helped to stem the flow of valuable local art works out of the country. The collection is committed to the documentation of both historical and current cultural life on the African continent. An exciting new development is the including growth in this fascinating area and the collection boasts an impressive selection of contemporary South African works. There are over 5 000 pieces in the collection. They include wood figure carvings, headrests, sticks, drums, masks, stools, items of clothing and ritual objects. The collection has several distinct specialist areas, such as beadwork, central and west African textiles, a fibre collection and a large number of valuable ceramic pieces. Exhibitions of items from this cultural treasure chest have been held in the Standard Bank Gallery, at the Standard Bank National Arts Festival and in galleries and museums throughout South Africa and internationally. In addition, there is a permanent exhibition venue for a substantial portion of the collection at the University Art Galleries. The collection is a major teaching resource for students at both undergraduate and postgraduate level. The availability of actual examples of objects for study is a great advantage for students of art history. The expansion of the southern African component of the collection during the last decade has been assisted by postgraduate students conducting primary field research in the region. These researchers have a vital role to play in the ongoing process of documenting the region's cultural heritage. The Standard Bank Group regards the African art collection as a rich cultural resource which can do much to address the historical imbalance of cultural conservation in this country. The collection is also a stimulus to further research and development in the arts in general.