As UVU Africa takes on the role of incubator for the second edition of Création Africa in South Africa, Lesotho and Malawi, Création Africa 2, we spoke with their team about their vision, approach, and hopes for the future. This Q&A offers insight into how the programme is shaping the cultural and creative industries in Southern Africa and beyond.
How do you feel being selected as the incubator for Création Africa again?
“Being selected to lead incubation for Création Africa once again is a meaningful continuation of UVU Africa’s work in entrepreneur development. CAPACITI, our digital skills and talent development division, now also drives entrepreneurship and incubation delivery across several sectors. Over the past decade, we’ve supported thousands of young people and emerging ventures to build capabilities, access opportunities, and connect to markets. Entrepreneurship is one of the most powerful levers for economic transformation, and creative industries hold unique potential for Africa. The industry goes beyond job creation, driving cultural expression, innovation, and new forms of value creation. Création Africa allows us to nurture that potential in a structured, intentional way. This second edition builds on the strong foundation laid in the first iteration. It reflects the trust in our model and our ability to bridge skills, creativity, and entrepreneurship to unlock meaningful impact.”
– Joshin Raghubar, Executive Chair UVU Africa
What do you enjoy most about incubating creative businesses, and what do you hope to bring to this second edition of Création Africa?
“Supporting creative entrepreneurs sits at the intersection of cultural identity, innovation, and economic growth. The creative industries are evolving at pace; shaped by emerging technologies, shifting consumer behaviours, and a growing global appetite for authentic African stories and products. CAPACITI has always believed in the power of digital skills to unlock opportunity. We’ve seen young people not only enter the job market, but go on to build solutions, create jobs, and stimulate local economies and communities. Supporting them as entrepreneurs builds on that foundation; it amplifies their impact and deepens their contribution to society. Entrepreneurship is catalytic. It multiplies economic opportunity far beyond the individual, creating ripple effects across communities. This is core to UVU Africa’s vision: building inclusive, future-fit societies where skills and entrepreneurship work hand-in-hand to drive growth. Création Africa gives us a platform to make that vision tangible, especially for the creative economy. It’s a space where innovation meets identity, and where African talent is catapulted through creativity, technology, and enterprise.”
– Chanél Oldfield, Head Of CAPACITI
You work across many creative sectors, how do you decide where to focus, and what new trends or technologies are you preparing entrepreneurs to embrace?
The creative economy is evolving quickly, and we ground our work in where we see genuine momentum and opportunity emerging. That starts with constantly scanning the horizon, listening closely to entrepreneurs, understanding market signals, and staying aligned with shifts in how creative industries operate and scale. As convenors, UVU Africa maintains a clear line of sight on these developments. Through initiatives like the UNDP timbuktoo Creative Hub, we’re able to identify catalytic areas of growth and ensure the broader ecosystem is connected, informed, and future-facing. In parallel, CAPACITI focuses on enabling entrepreneurs to practically engage with these shifts. This includes preparing them to work with emerging trends such as generative AI, immersive storytelling, and digital commerce, while building the adaptability to evolve as these trends do. Together, this ensures we can both anticipate where the sector is heading and equip entrepreneurs to lead within it.
Création Africa connects many partners. How will you strengthen these links between entrepreneurs, markets, funders, and industry players so they continue beyond the programme?
By creating structured pathways that link entrepreneurs to markets, funders, and industry players, we found that these relationships last beyond the programme itself. Création Africa creates a powerful entry point to activate these networks. But what makes the impact meaningful is the work we do to ensure those relationships continue to generate opportunities long after the initial incubation phase. As convenors, we’re intentional about ensuring these partnerships are not one-off touchpoints but form part of a wider, sustainable ecosystem.
How is Création Africa helping creative entrepreneurs become investment-ready and gain access to local, regional, and international markets?
One of the most powerful levers for scaling creative businesses is access- to funding, to markets, and to the right support. Our approach starts with the entrepreneur and their venture, identifying the gaps that need to be addressed for them to become investment-ready and market-fit. From there, we provide targeted support, from mentoring and coaching to technical assistance and business development, ensuring entrepreneurs are well equipped to engage confidently with funders and markets. Création Africa is intentionally designed to align entrepreneurial capability with market expectations, creating a strong pipeline of ventures that are not only ready for investment but supported to sustain that growth. The result is a more connected pathway between promising creative entrepreneurs and the opportunities, regional and global, that can unlock their next stage of growth.
What steps are you taking to ensure that Création Africa, and the businesses it supports, have a lasting and sustainable impact?
“We focus on equipping entrepreneurs with the skills, networks, and industry-relevant capabilities that allow them to keep growing, long after formal support ends. CAPACITI’s ‘lifetime learning’ culture plays a critical role here. With deep expertise in digital skills and emerging technologies, such as AI, we’re able to prepare creative entrepreneurs for the shifts shaping industries globally. That future-facing capability ensures that the ventures supported through Création Africa remain competitive, resilient and sustainable. This is reinforced through alumni engagements, ecosystem partnerships, and an intentional approach to building long-term pathways to growth, not just short-term programme outcomes. ”
– Chanél Oldfield, Head Of CAPACITI
Looking five years ahead, how do you see Création Africa shaping the creative industries in Southern Africa, and how will you measure that impact?
“Looking ahead, we see a creative economy that is more interconnected, investable, and globally visible, with African entrepreneurs shaping, not just responding to, global industry trends. Création Africa is a catalyst in that vision: it builds capacity, unlocks networks, and strengthens ecosystems across the region. Our work is grounded in a future-facing approach. By utilising emerging technologies, entrepreneurs are positioned at the forefront of innovative solutions, driving solutions that will fill gaps in the market, and thrive in a rapidly evolving economy, through our support. Five years from now, we’ll measure success not only in the number of businesses supported, but in the vibrancy and strength of the creative ecosystem, more connected value chains, increased investment, and a stronger African creative presence on the global stage.”
– Joshin Raghubar, Executive Chair UVU Africa
Read more aboute UVU Africa here
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