Calls for Applications / Arts and Creative Industries / Création Africa: South Africa, Lesotho and Malawi – Call for Cultural Entrepreneurship Incubators

Création Africa: South Africa, Lesotho and Malawi – Call for Cultural Entrepreneurship Incubators

Arts and Creative Industries
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After a successful first iteration in 2024, Création Africa South Africa, Lesotho and Malawi is back to support and scale up cultural entrepreneurs in South Africa, Lesotho and Malawi. As part of this project, we are looking for an incubator (or consortium of entities that jointly meet the selection criteria) to support, train, and coach selected cultural entrepreneurs in their innovation and development journeys through an incubation and coaching programme.

The programme will run from November 2025 to October 2026, starting with the selection of 50 entrepreneurs, followed by a coaching phase from February to March 2026, and an incubation phase from April to October 2026 for the 15 selected cultural entrepreneurs.

Selection timeline:

  • Launch of the call for proposals from incubators (7 August 2025)
  • Submission deadline for proposals from incubators (7 September 2025)
  • Review of applications (9 to 16 September 2025)
  • Interviews with incubators (22 September 2025)
  • Contract signing and start of incubator’s missions (13 October 2025)
This project is coordinated by the Embassy of France in South Africa, Lesotho and Malawi and the French Institute of South Africa (IFAS), the cultural arm of the Embassy with the support of the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs.
Download the call for incubators here.
Apply here.
Download FAQ, based on questions received from a prospective incubator, here.
Application Details
07/09/2025
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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.
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