Recently the Goethe Insititut and the Music In Africa Foundation recently released the Culture and Creative Industry in Southern Africa Report for 2024. The report analyzes the cultural policies, legal frameworks, and real-life challenges faced by creatives across nine Southern African countries — Angola, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
There is so much to pick out of the report, but here are key takeaways that are of interest to us as a pan African community of Culture and Creative Industry professionals:
- Overall, there is insufficient understanding of the sector, which is crucial for effective policy formulation, implementation and evaluation. The study established that there was insufficient data, information and mapping processes about the CCIs. The lack of capacity both at a technical and institutional level was frequently cited as hampering implementation of policies. There was a lack of properly planned and financed program of action that could manifest the visions stated in policy documents, with many government representatives acknowledging these difficulties. Funding was one of the most frequently noted barriers to implementation.
- Regulation in the creative industries is a complex issue and relevant frameworks may not only be found within a single ministry tasked with culture and/or the arts. National legislation also cannot be drafted in isolation, but has to be aligned with commitments already made under multilateral processes and global instruments, such as World Trade Organization (WTO) rules, World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) regulations, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) conventions, and other similar international legal instruments.
- There is a lack of representation of the cultural and creative industry at regional policymaking levels. the Southern African Development Community for example does not have a culture desk, which also means that CCI needs in the region will be underrepresented at many levels, including the African Union. This is a lost opportunity, particularly where there are advantages to be secured through regional trade agreements, import/export reciprocation and other cooperation mechanisms.
- Funding support to the Cultural and Creative Industries in the region is generally weak, but there are various ways in which this component can be addressed from policy perspectives. This could include actions such as: (a) direct subsidies, (b) tax relief on income to promote investment, (c) granting preferential credit, (d) financial guarantees to help cover risks, (e) financial transfers (as mentioned above, industry transfer organized through public authorities), and (f) microcredit for independent artists, and for artists and artisans from all communities.
- There is a critical need for long-term data collection, analysis and dissemination of findings to support lobbying efforts and policy reviews, not only within the countries examined in this study but across the whole of Africa. The establishment of cultural observatories in some countries (Mozambique and South Africa) is a starting point but not sufficient.
At Arts Connect Africa we are always focused on reports around the culture and creative industry in all the regions of Africa, because they guide our focus areas for engaging the culture and creative industry all around the continent. We will continue to monitor similar reports around the continent in furtherance of our focus areas of education, economic impact and culture exchange.
To read the full report visit ccireport2024a4online11.pdf
