The mission of the National Arts Council of South Africa (NAC) is to develop and promote excellence in the arts.
The Council's mandate is to: provide, and encourage the provision of, opportunities for people to practice the arts; promote the appreciation, understanding and enjoyment of the arts; promote the general application of the arts in the community; foster the expression of a national identity and consciousness by means of the arts; uphold and promote the right of any people to freedom in the practice of the arts; give the historically disadvantaged such additional help and resources as are required to give them greater access to the arts; address historical imbalances in the provision of infrastructure for the promotion of the arts; promote and facilitate national and international liaison between individuals and institutions in respect of the arts; and develop, promote and encourage excellence in the arts.