Arts and Creative Industries / Creative Industries / President Emmanuel Macron hosts South African creatives at the French Residence in Pretoria

President Emmanuel Macron hosts South African creatives at the French Residence in Pretoria

Arts and Creative Industries
SHARE
THIS:
26 November

President Emmanuel Macron hosted a dinner on Friday 21 November 2025 at the French Residence in Pretoria, bringing together leading figures from the South African cultural and creative industries for an exchange on current priorities and future cooperation.

Guests included artist William Kentridge, visual artists Mary Sibande and Lawrence Lemaoana, poet and performer Xabiso Vili, singer and composer Zoë Modiga, film producer Anant Singh, Standard Bank Gallery curator Same Mdluli, visual artist Banele Khoza, fashion designer Thebe Magugu, art collector Anton Taljaard, and filmmaker and Friend of IFAS Ramadan Suleman.

President Macron was in South Africa to attend the G20 Leaders’ Summit in Johannesburg on 22 and 23 November.

On 21 November, President Macron also visited Freedom Park Heritage Site in Pretoria, where he unveiled the names of 20 French citizens who supported the struggle against apartheid. He was received by South African Deputy President Paul Mashatile and the Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture, Gayton McKenzie. The names honoured were Danielle Mitterrand, Paul Vergès, Breyten Breytenbach, Jean-Paul Sartre, Frantz Fanon, Jean-Jacques de Félice, Elisabeth Mathiot, Alfred Kastler, Albert Lévy, Jacqueline Grünfeld, Charles Palant, Marcel Trigon, Maurice Cukierman, Paul Ricoeur, Marie-José Moumbaris, Henri Curiel, François Moncla, Aimé Césaire, Eve Hall and Claude Bourdet.

Photos: Top left: President Macron with Mary Sibande and Lawrence Lemaoana. Top right: President Macron with Thebe Magugu and William Kentridge. Bottom left: Banele Khoza, Anton Taljaard, Mary Sibande, William Kentridge, Lawrence Lemaoana, Same Mdluli, Zoë Modiga, Xabiso Vili, Ramadan Suleman and Thebe Magugu. Bottom right: President Macron with Zoë Modiga.

You might also like

MEDIA RELEASE: Création Africa Top 12 Announced

France announces support for 12 cultural enterprises in final phase of Création Africa programme Création Africa supports cultural and...

Concerto à la mémoire d’un ange

Vous trouverez ICI un recueil d’activités pour l’enseignement-apprentissage du Français Langue Etrangère par la littérature. Toutes les activités ont été créés...

Generation Equality Forum to drive Major Policy Reforms and Generate over $40 Billion in New Investments

Heads of State and Government, heads of international organizations, activists from civil society and youth-led organizations, philanthropists and CEOs...

INNOV4GOOD: Southern African innovators showcase social solutions at ChangeNOW Summit in Paris

Three exceptional social innovation businesses from South Africa and Malawi have been awarded grants through INNOV4GOOD, an initiative of...

Let's get social
This message is only visible to admins.
Problem displaying Facebook posts.
Click to show error
Error: Server configuration issue
Twitter feed is not available at the moment.
The Création Africa Top 50 is a true reflection of the depth and diversity of the cultural and creative industries! #CreationAfrica2 #FrenchInstituteSA
🎉 Meet the selected Top 50 entrepreneurs for the second edition of Création Africa, from South Africa. Lesotho and Malawi 🎉 Congratulations as they begin a seven-week mentorship journey with UVU Africa and its digital skills and innovation division CAPACITI. 👏
A conversation exploring the impact of the 2025 funding cuts for the HIV response, especially for at risk and LGBTQIA+ communities. The panel will consist of leading experts in the field, both within health research and operating directly on the ground with affected groups.
As part of the French Institute of South Africa’s (IFAS) 30th anniversary, this film turns to Lesotho to spotlight artists and cultural practitioners involved in co-creation initiatives supported by IFAS. Shot across the Mountain Kingdom, it features voices that have helped define the Institute’s work over the past three decades. Directed by Adam Heyns.
As part of the French Institute of South Africa’s (IFAS) 30th anniversary, a visit to Malawi captured the stories of artists and cultural practitioners involved in co-creation projects supported by IFAS. From Lilongwe to Blantyre, the film brings together voices that have contributed to the Institute’s work over the past three decades. Directed by Adam Heyns.
Join us for a special talk by Justice Edwin Cameron and Sohela Surajpal, two of the authors of the new book 'Behind Prison Walls'. Their talk will bring together Michel Foucault's reflections on the systems of discipline and South Africa's experience of incarceration, offering an original analysis: how prisons, far from serving as tools of rehabilitation, become instruments of social control and the perpetuation of inequality.
Launched in 2022 under the France 2030 initiative, the ICC Immersion programme supports French entrepreneurs in the cultural and creative industries (CCI) as they expand into global markets. Implemented in South Africa by Institut français in Paris, the French Institute of South Africa (IFAS), Business France, and Business France South Africa and Southern Africa, the initiative connects French companies with key players in South Africa’s dynamic creative sector. This year’s cohort featured nine innovative CCI companies—Allegria, Atrack (Beam for Music), Agence Culturelle PLUS (Reunion Island), Culturespaces, Fabrik & Moi (Reunion Island), France Muséums Développement, Jakob + MacFarlane, Memorist, and Sound Birth—representing fields from architecture and immersive technology to museum development, cultural consultancy, and music innovation. Altogether, the South African edition fostered meaningful exchange between French and South African cultural leaders, opening the door to future collaborations across the two countries.  Special thank you to the featured sites: Constitution Hill Desmond & Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation Joburg Contemporary Art Foundation Spier Wine Farm, TRACE Studios Tshimologong Digital Innovation Precinct Wesgro Wits Digital Dome Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa ----- ICC Immersion is coordinated by the Secrétariat Général pour l'Investissement (SGPI) and driven by the Institut Français and Business France, with support from the Banque des territoires, the French Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs. The 2025 edition is implemented by IFAS and Business France in Johannesburg.
To mark the 30th anniversary of the French Institute of South Africa (IFAS), this documentary film brings together nearly 50 voices who have been part of IFAS’s journey over the past three decades. From its beginnings in Newtown to its current home in Braamfontein, IFAS has helped shape South Africa’s cultural and creative landscape through collaboration, exchange, and long-term partnerships. Director: Adam Heyns Producer: Lali van Zuydam Music: NØ FØRMAT! Records
For 30 years IFAS has nurtured a vibrant space for dialogue, experimentation, and creative growth. It has helped tell untold stories, amplify diverse voices, and build platforms for both emerging and established talents to shine. Now, as we mark 30 years of impact and memory, we look back at three remarkable decades of collaboration, co-creation, and cultural connection. And in the words of the legendary filmmaker Ramadan Suleman, here's to the end of Episode 1—and the beginning of many more episodes in the eclectic, ever-evolving series that is IFAS. Video Production and Editing: Adam Heyns Music: NØ FØRMAT! Records
Ahead of the 2025 Series Mania Forum taking place from 25th-27th March, IFAS invited delegates from around the world to join and gain valuable insights from our Audiovisual team and Forum organisers on what to expect and how to prepare for the three jam-packed days of pitching, networking, and high-level conferences.
Organised by SAGES Africa (Services for Africa Gaming & Esports), the Mzansi Esports Champions is a key part of the Tekken Africa Queens Challenge, an innovative initiative which aims to spotlight and empower women’s talent in esports, promoting inclusivity and equality within the gaming industry. The 2024 players were: – eSwatini: Setsabile Shabangu, Sugar – Kenya: Sylvia Wahome, QueenArrow – Lesotho: Liteboho Thebe, EL – Madagascar: Safidy Andrianisoa, Sentaku – Malawi: Matimbe Gweyneth Edina, Gwyn Stacy – Namibia: Asante-Sana Maruwasa, ATMBYTES – South Africa: Zahraa Khan, Iron-Fist – Zambia: Bwalia Nkumbula, LiaRose The Mzansi Esports Champions event is part of a larger strategy by SAGES Africa to build a strong esports ecosystem across the continent. Through strategic partnerships, SAGES continues to empower African players and enhance their competitiveness on the global stage. This project is a collaboration of the French Institute of South Africa, SAGES and rAge Expo. It is made possible thanks to funding from the French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs. --- Credits: Music: Chipego Producer: Junayd Bradlow Creative Director: Tasmin Jacobs Post-Production: Umar Bradlow Creative Studios: The Magic Pixel & The Ultimate Gaming Champions South Africa
Subscribe
© 2026 frenchinstitute.org.za. All rights reserved. Site design by Nicework.
View our Data Policy and Terms.