Arts and Creative Industries / Creative Industries / Création Africa: A catalyst for creative industry growth in Southern Africa

Création Africa: A catalyst for creative industry growth in Southern Africa

Arts and Creative Industries
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5 November

Création Africa is an ambitious initiative launched by the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs in 2023 to elevate creative entrepreneurship across Africa. In South Africa, Lesotho, and Malawi, this programme targets the region’s cultural and creative industries (CCIs), covering dynamic sectors like fashion, design, film, music, and gaming.

At its core, Création Africa is designed to empower cultural and creative entrepreneurs, sparking sustainable growth and innovation within these industries. By enhancing business skills and fostering international collaboration, the programme supports a thriving ecosystem where local creativity can flourish and position CCIs as key economic drivers.

From 702 applicants, 40 cultural and creative enterprises were selected for an initial mentorship phase, with 12 emerging as finalists to join a five-month incubation programme. This cohort included enterprises from diverse fields: Ananta Design Studio, Giya, LSJ Clothing and Merchandising/Butan, Moodswing, Pineapple on Pizza Studios, Renaissance Design, SpaceSalad Studios, Tendalo Trading, and Thebe Magugu from South Africa; Kwacha Creative Studios and Terry Made Designs from Malawi; and SourceCode Motion Pictures from Lesotho.

The programme was led by the Embassy of France and IFAS. The incubation and immersion programmes were facilitated by partners, UVU Africa and Bpifrance.

  • Meet the 12 finalists here.

Mentorship and incubation programme

The incubation programme for the selected entrepreneurs was designed to support their entrepreneurial journey in the CCI sector. The programme included the following key elements: individual mentorship sessions, on-demand entrepreneurship modules, group learning sessions and masterclasses.

Eight open masterclasses were hosted by industry experts from South Africa and France. These sessions provided the finalists with targeted knowledge and expertise in key areas of business and the CCI sector.

These experts included Avril Joffe (UNESCO Chair in Cultural Entrepreneurship & Policy at Wits School of Arts), Juliet Kavishe (Vice President of the International Council of Design), Dr. Erica de Greef (Co-Founder of the African Fashion Research Institute), Alexia Walker (Founder of Walker Art & Independent Art Advisor), Nadine Gonzalez (Director of Casa 93 & Founder of ModaFusion Association), Thierry Cassuto (Founder & Executive Producer at Both Worlds Pictures), Emilie Gambade (Head of Multimedia & Editor at Maverick Life) and Loïc Manglou (CEO of Blue Ramen & Co-Founder of Rubika Réunion).

  • Recordings of the masterclasses can be accessed here.

Highlights from the Création Africa Days

The Création Africa Days event, hosted by the French Embassy of South Africa, Lesotho and Malawi, and IFAS in partnership with UVU Africa, took place on 17 September at the French Residence in Pretoria and 18 September at Keyes Art Mile Gallery in Johannesburg.

The first day at the French Residence in Pretoria saw the entrepreneurs pitching their ventures to an audience of investors, venture capitalists, business leaders, and representatives from banks and business development agencies. A networking session followed, where guests could engage with the finalists at their exhibition stands and foster potential partnerships and collaborations. The keynote address, delivered by Lesley Donna Williams, highlighted the challenges within South Africa’s creative industries. The evening culminated with Ambassador of France to South Africa, Lesotho and Malawi HE David Martinon and Lara Rosmarin, Head of UVU Accelerate, presenting each finalist with a certificate of completion.

On September 18, the focus shifted to Johannesburg, where the entrepreneurs enjoyed a business breakfast with speakers from Business France and the Agence française de développement sharing information on opportunities in the French market. A roundtable discussion and cocktail reception at Keyes Art Mile moderated by Michelle Constant, journalist, concluded the event, offering further opportunities for collaboration and media engagement.

  • Read about the Création Africa Days on TimesLIVE here.

Immersion programme in Paris

In October, the Création Africa finalists showcased attended BIG 2024, Europe’s premier business and investment forum, led by programme partner Bpifrance.

Their agenda included exchanges with the Institut français and a visit to Le19M, Chanel’s fashion center dedicated to luxury craftsmanship. They also met with leaders from the luxury group Kering and participated in creative sessions with fashion school Casa 93, video production company Federation Entertainment, and media powerhouse France Médias Monde.

During BIG 2024, they also attended La French Touch, a programme tailored specifically to cultural and creative industries, positioning them to make crucial connections and explore future collaborations.

  • Read about their visit on IOL here.

Hear from the entrepreneurs in their own words!

For a closer look, watch this testimonial video featuring the Création Africa entrepreneurs in their own words.
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For a closer look at the Création Africa journey, watch the testimonial video featuring the entrepreneurs in their own words. Hear firsthand how the programme has shaped their ventures, opened up international connections, and provided a platform to bring Southern African creativity to the global stage.
For a closer look at the Création Africa journey, watch the short testimonial video featuring the entrepreneurs in their own words. Hear firsthand how the programme has shaped their ventures, opened up international connections, and provided a platform to bring Southern African creativity to the global stage.
THEBE MAGUGU is a luxury fashion brand that offers ready-to-wear collections and explores parallel concepts through multidisciplinary capsule projects. The brand is rooted in education: informing the world about stories and crafts, with each collection named after a university subject. The goal is to purchase premises in Johannesburg that will be used as an incubation, workshop, library, events and café venue.
Terry Made Designs is a contemporary luxury clothing brand specialising in ready-to-wear and custom clothes, accessories, and professional styling services. The brand focuses on sustainability by repurposing second-hand clothes and pre-loved fabrics.
Tendalo Trading specialises in repurposing rubber tubes from cars, trucks, and tractors into eco-friendly, durable, waterproof, and ethically sourced bags. The focus is on recycling and upcycling to mitigate environmental pollution and align with Sustainable Development Goals.
SourceCode Motion Pictures specialises in innovative visual storytelling through 3D animation, VFX, and cutting-edge technologies like Unreal Engine. Services include film production, web series, TV shows, and ad campaigns.
Renaissance Design is a Pan-African multidisciplinary creative agency specialising in conceptualising and designing modern ancient African-inspired patterns. The business extends its services to interiors, fashion, product design, and custom design for corporate and hospitality brands. It aims to reflect ancient Africa in modern living.
Pineapple on Pizza Studios is a games and digital arts studio that focuses on game development and gamification projects. ‘Moya’ is the flagship project: a 2D narrative puzzle set in an apocalyptic African landscape.
Moodswing is the world's first platform that allows businesses and individuals to enhance their conversations with personalised AI-generated playlists of background instrumental music based on their mood. It is creating job opportunities for talented individuals who are passionate about music.
Building upon the foundation of the established streetwear brand, Butan, LSJ Clothing and Merchandising, is venturing into footwear design that incorporates recycled materials (particularly discarded rubber tyres).
Kwacha Creative Studios is a Malawi-based film production and distribution company. The business showcases the unique and diverse stories and brands of Malawi, producing feature films, TV series, documentaries, and creative advertising campaigns.
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