The Jazz Foundation of South Africa is an organization dedicated to the creation, presentation and preservation of local Jazz and other related creative music. Individuals who realised the glaring need for an appreciation of Jazz formed the Jazz Foundation in April 1983. The rationale behind the organisation's existence is the glaring evidence of commercial as well as parastatal structures prejudices against Jazz.

The recording industry did not see or make it easy for jazz as a type or stream of music as well.
The motivating belief behind the Foundation is that Jazz should not be allowed to operate from the fringes, it is too meaningful to be marginalised.

The Foundation's existence was necessitated by the general apathy and lack of concern and support for such music.

The word jazz elicits all sorts of responses ranging from absolute appreciation to disgusting rile, nevertheless, you cannot ignore it. The Foundation is mindful that through the years, television, radio and to some extent the recording companies have shown a continued and systematic negative bias towards jazz and other creative genres. This tends to reinforce the amount of denial facing this type of music, leaving our artists with no option but to find self-wasting comfort in the kind of music that affords them the fortune and fame to the debasement of their creative aptitudes, which are left to idle. To fulfil our mission, the Foundation will engage itself in the following areas:

• The jazz performing sphere
• Research, Resource and Publishing Centre
• Heritage preservation
• Provide support for innovations in jazz
• Promote the development of new audiences and consumer markets for Jazz and increase employment opportunities in the industry
• Establish a music academy to teach children the rudiments of such music and general instruments playing

The Foundation is also an event management and promotions organization specializing in the music and related industry. With a unique combination of skills amounting to more than 23 years experience, the organisation offers innovative packages to fully fit the specifications and bugdet guidelines of an event, irrespective of its scale, nature, theme or purpose.