The creator economy may well be a global phenomenon but Africa is positioned to profit the most from it compared to other continents. This sentiment is informed by a confluence of factors that are shaping the future of Africa’s labour markets.
Africa’s cultural and creative industries present an excellent opportunity for long-term growth, but they need to be nurtured and protected, especially in the wake of shocks from Covid-19. An opinion by George Gachara.
In 2020, the African Union adopted the Digital Transformation Strategy (2020-2030), Africa faces an infrastructure, digital and technological gap. Africa faces an infrastructure, digital and technological gap. Several African countries have only recently acquired widespread internet connectivity, and only a relatively small population of people across the 54 countries in Africa have had access to a reliable and affordable digital experience.
There are a myriad of ways in which tech and the internet have changed the ways Africans create, distribute and monetize content. Tech has presented artists with an income on a continent grappling with widespread unemployment, particularly amongst the youth. The presence of tech companies on the art market has also had an impact beyond money, however.
The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) seeks to create a single continental market with free movement of business persons and investments, progressively removing the tariff and nontariff barriers to the trade of intra-African goods and services, which have historically prevented the Creative and Cultural industries (CCI) practitioners from easily accessing the rest of the continent.
In what is considered a bold move, the South African government in its latest iteration of a Copyright Amendment Bill (CAB) has proposed the inclusion of termination rights as a standard feature of all copyright assignments of literary and musical work. It drastically changes the default position from copyright assignments that are potentially for the entire life of the copyrighted work, to a much shorter period.
A reckoning is happening, a willingness, like none before, for the former colonials powers, both those who sat at the Berlin conference, and those who benefited indirectly, to acknowledge the past, what was taken and what needs to be returned.
What have the arts and CCIs lost because of the prevalence of misogyny and misogynoir? A definitive and coordinated legislative and policy interventions would go a long way to correcting the historical imbalance and achieving the necessary gender parity for an inclusive CCI.
There’s no question that Africa’s richness in talent, cultural diversity and vibrant societies are key ingredients in creating its powerful and compelling local stories. When Netflix entered the region back in 2016, the strength of storytellers, diversity and creativity was apparent. Our role back then was first to learn as much as we could about key film and TV hubs in Africa such as South Africa, Nigeria and Kenya so we could understand how best to support and collaborate with the local creative ecosystem. We’re still learning and understanding, except now we’re doing it alongside an ever-growing host of talented partners - writers, directors, producers, and other creatives in whom we’re investing heavily to broaden the range of local voices and stories available locally and for the world to hear.
The quality and quantity of South African animated films and series has increased over the last decade. This has resulted in international attention leading to South African animation work in film and series done in partnership with larger international studios. The following report analyses the ecosystem of South Africa's Animation Film Ecosystem.
This report looks at the implications for the Creative Economy of the rapid changes in automated technology and advanced internet communication that came to be known as Industry 4.0. Conservative estimates put the Creative Economy’s contribution to global gross domestic product at about 3 per cent, roughly in line with its contribution to world trade.
In addition to the important social and cultural values that cultural and creative activities contribute to the identity and wellbeing of South Africans, the contribution of the Cultural and Creative Industries (CCIs) to economic growth, employment, and international trade has also been increasingly acknowledged.
In an effort to monitor the implementation of the 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, the The UNESCO Global Report, Re|Shaping Policies for Creativity – Addressing culture as a global public good is the third in a series of reports that detail their progress, efforts, and projections for the global CCI.
Ever wondered how to access sustainable capital for a new business in the CCI? In this article, Yemisi Mokuolu and Victoria Kay look at financing in this industry and the role that business consultancy plays in potentially aiding small start-ups.
The effect of the pandemic on the cultural industry has been something essential to examine. Avril Joffe observed how this has manifested in local economies and looks at some of the opportunities brought by COVID-19.
The Digital Skills Research Track looks into understanding the nature of digital skills development for creatives based in South African Townships. The report brings together current literature on the shifts in digital practice and the experiences of digital creative practitioners. Although the report is substantially influenced by digital creative entrepreneurs, the research engages with employees, employers, educators, and hub and incubator managers to better understand the broader environment in which digital creative skills are being developed and put to work. This research was conducted by Andani.Africa for the Cav' Platform.
The Hive Network - a hub for connection and creative collaboration - has concluded its chapter in Johannesburg. After 6 years of supporting local creatives and facilitating growth in the industry, they have officially decided to close their operations as of the 30th of July. The organization's closure brings to mind some of their notable projects, one of which is the Afrolab Digital, a collaborative effort with Feira Cultural Preta (a Brazilian organization) alongside the British Council and together they incubated 10 fashion entrepreneurs.
The cultural and creative industries (CCIs) are increasingly being recognised in South Africa, as in other countries, as wealth-creating, given appropriate investment, rather than primarily a non-market subsidized sector. However, national innovation policy is still predominantly focused on STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) skillsets and related product markets. This paper analyses how the CCIs in the Cape Town cluster innovate by combining digital technology, creative inputs, and workforce diversity.
In August 2020, SACO commissioned research to conduct an impact analysis on Live Music and its Venues to understand how the sector has been affected by the measures imposed to control the spread of the coronavirus. The study followed an industry wide research conducted by SACO earlier in the year which assessed the impact of Covid-19 in the cultural and creative industries in general.
The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement will create the largest free trade area in the world measured by the number of countries participating. As the global economy is in turmoil due to the COVID-19 pandemic, creation of the vast AfCFTA regional market is a major opportunity to help African countries diversify their exports, accelerate growth, and attract foreign direct investment.
This needs assessment was carried out to determine and address perceived or existing gaps faced by Enterprise Support Organizations (ESOs), entrepreneurs and investors within the African ecosystem to better target the program’s interventions. This was achieved by carrying out via desk review, focus groups and conducting surveys to target groups.
The CCIs in South Africa are fragmented and suffer from low visibility which leads to their struggle in adequately representing their interests to state entities and decision makers. The Data Gaps research aims to determine what additional research and possible action is required. Contributors from the illustration, gaming and animation industries contributed to this desktop research.
This report highlights the importance of culture to the UN’s Agenda 2030 and its SDGs and provides an overview of the main frameworks and institutions that currently engage with the SDGs, analyses the SDGs through a cultural lens, offers examples of relevant British Council programmes, and sets out recommendations for the arts and culture sector to demonstrate the value of arts and culture to sustainable development.
This report used data from the Labour Market Dynamics Survey to determine the size of employment in cultural occupations and industries in South Africa in 2015. It made use of the UNESCO (2009) Framework for Cultural Statistics to define the sector. This includes people working in sectors traditionally classed as cultural or creative as well as the more commercial sectors (such as designers, architects, advertising and computer programming).
The report captures the financial impact of the pandemic on music professionals since the outbreak of the virus and introduction of restrictions on the broader African continent from about 1 March to end of April 2020 and provides an overview of the immediate needs of affected practitioners.
This research sought to understand the impact of Covid-19 on business operations of SMMEs in Africa. Data gathered from 96 SMMEs shows that Covid-19 had a significant impact on their daily operations, revenue and employment.
Despite their global impact, Africa’s creative and cultural industries remain underdeveloped today. Recent advancements in technology, data and IP now poise artists across the continent to reap a profit from its economic opportunity.
Heva Fund sought to understand the impact of the coronavirus pandemic through a needs analysis exercise, which generated responses from 510 creative and cultural industry practitioners throughout Kenya. This report shares its findings and final analysis.
This comprehensive study was undertaken between March 30 and May 4, 2020 through an online survey and an economic impact assessment. It provides an early assessment of the impact of the shutdown on the CCI sector
This UN Agenda outlines 17 sustainable development goals and 169 targets that seek to build on the Millennium Development Goals. They seek to achieve gender equality and to balance three dimensions of sustainable development; the economic, social and environmental.
A PWC published in-depth analysis of the trends shaping the entertainment and media industry in South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana and Tanzania through the lens of the consumer.
The CIDF seeks to develop creative industries and to maximize their contribution to the economy, community development and to provide a framework for investment and implementation in South Africa’s Gauteng Province.
This framework describes the entrepreneurial mindset; the knowledge, skills and attitudes needed to be entrepreneurial and create financial and cultural value for others.
Whipping the Cat answers key questions about the POPI Act, details why compliance is important and how this piece of legislation could impact businesses in South Africa.
Building on the White Paper of 1996 and the Cultural Industries Growth Strategy, this white paper revision focuses on the role of the CCIs in income generation, entrepreneurship and business development.
Understanding Copyright and how it works for you is an important part of working as a creative. This video takes you through the South African Copyright Bill, with a focus on the 2017 amendments.
The Performers' Protection Bill focuses on the rights of screen and live performers. The recommended amendments are long overdue for the sector. This explainer video has been developed in association with the Actors’ Guild of South Africa.
