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After hosting a momentous NFT auction in 2021, Momint (an African-based company that provides a social marketplace for NFTs) is excited to announce an even bigger and better event on 26 March 2022. This week’s auction is set to exceed last year’s success, cementing Momint’s position as a leader in the continental NFT market and creating further benefits for local artists and charities.

Momint’s first auction in November 2021 was Africa’s largest yet. It saw three pieces sold at prices within the top 5% of the most valuable NFT sales in the world, raised R105,000 for conservation funding, and generated more than R800,000 for local artists and charities.

This year’s first auction will be hosted at the Grand Africa Café and Beach in Cape Town as well as online. It will feature historic items and iconic pieces including a Bored Ape Yacht Club original, and works by an array of local and international artists. A number of prominent guests are expected to attend the auction including Mmusi Maimane, Vusi Thembakwayo, Tarina Patel and Zari Hassan.

As part of the auction a digital version of the original 1961 Warrant of Arrest for Nelson Mandela has been specially minted and will be available 61 years after it was first issued. The proceeds from the sale of the warrant will be donated to the Liliesleaf Farm and Museum. Liliesleaf served as the secret headquarters of the ANC, SACP, Umkhonto we Sizwe and the Congress Alliance from 1961 to 1963, and is today one of South Africa’s foremost national heritage sites.

The warrant for treason is an exceptionally valuable NFT, and is the one of the first heritage NFTs to have been created in South Africa. There are few historical documents that can claim the status and value of this particular and rare NFT which will also play a role in preserving this historic artifact digitally.

The auction will also demonstrate the social value and potential of the NFT market by featuring an NFT minted to sponsor the work of NPO Fightback SA, which arms women in marginalised communities with self-defence classes to protect themselves in a country with endemic levels of gender-based violence.

NFTs are currently perceived by most South Africans as the exclusive domain of the few. A small number of the crypto wealthy make up the market when it comes to valuations. But this does not have to be so.

Momint is committed to making the NFT space more inclusive in South Africa and is at the forefront of democratising the art market by removing the middleman. The decentralised application (an app that runs on the blockchain) creates a digital marketplace for creators, curators and buyers at every price point. Through this platform, artists can release their work globally, build a following, and earn royalties in perpetuity.

With a focus on driving value, accessibility and utility, minting an NFT on Momint is free, and users who can are encouraged to sell their NFTs at little or no cost in order to draw new users to this ecosystem for the future.

This week’s auction will take place alongside an immersive festival featuring top local and international DJs, art auctions and installations, lightshows, and holographic scenes.

Festival attendees will be able to view the live screening of the auction. Beyond providing a unique experience, the event will provide an arena for human connection after a difficult two-year period that has been marked by social isolation, and help to improve the awareness and accessibility of blockchain and NFTs. The festival will also serve as a once in a lifetime after party for the auction attendees.

The auction will take place at 19h00 on Saturday, 26 March 2022. Auction and festival guests are encouraged to arrive before 18h00 to view the NFT and Art gallery.

Tickets to the auction are available on Quicket and guests can register online through the Momint website. Tickets to the festival are also available on Quicket.

Issued by Resolve Communications on behalf of Ahren Posthumus, Chief Executive Officer at Momint