Burna Boy, Diamond Platinumz, Amil Shivji, Clarence Peters, Justin Campos, Wizkid, Tems, Omah Lay and Sauti Sol are some major hitmakers, filmmakers and producing forces that make Africa come alive within the realms of creativity.
Digital platforms, now more than ever, are bridging the gap between creativity and dissemination. Artisans, musicians, and filmmakers are currently accessing wider and more hungry audiences worldwide.
- Nigeria, Tanzania, South Africa and Kenya are some of the most active creative markets in Africa.
- Davido, Burna Boy, Sauti Sol and Rayvanny are some of the African performers making Africa proud.
- The creative and entertainment industry in Africa is now making an impact in local economies across the region.
Modern streaming technologies are changing the game, particularly for emerging economies. The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) noted that throughout Africa, revenue from digital music streaming is expected to reach US$500 million by 2025, up from only US$100 million in 2017.
As the world develops faster--how we consume entertaining materials evolves and space. Streaming platforms such as Boomplay are witnessing massive subscribers and streamers, adding value to upcoming artists and their works as it expands industries in various markets.
Emerging creative markets such as Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya are seeing a significant migration of habits and preferences from traditional ways of creativity and consumption to modern approaches.
Mobile apps, streaming-website, social media platforms, and music and film festivals are breeding grounds for spotting new talent and earning fans, followers, and income.
East Africa is now binge-watching home-produced soap operas and films on TV. Music festivals such as Fiesta in Tanzania and the Pan-African festival Sauti za Busara set the stage for defining true African artistry.
Whether online or offline, creatives across all African spheres stand to draw billions from their ingenuity if the environment they stem from is conducive enough to compete with other established markets.
READ: List of richest Instagram influencers in Africa, amount they are paid per post
Creating in Africa
Music and film are now turning the creative and entertainment tide across the continent. The creatives in Africa are now crowned and featured by other established performers in the developed world, which signals the potential of the creative industry in Africa.
There are more than 2,500 films made each year in Nigeria's film hub, "Nollywood". As modern filmmaking technologies expand across Africa, more works are now done in other developing industries in East and Southern Africa.
The United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) find the audio-visual sector to be a honeypot, but it is largely untapped. The industry is estimated to account for $5 billion in revenue in Africa out of a $20 billion potential and employ at least 5 million people.
On a global scale, cultural and creative industries are estimated to generate about $2.25 trillion annually, 3 per cent of global GDP, and employ around 30 million people worldwide (UNESCO).
Sadly, UNESCO points out that Africa and the Middle East represent only 3 per cent of global trade. On the other side, the sector can stretch its wings and yield more beneficial outcomes for governments and artists.
"The film and audiovisual industries have the potential to create over 20 million jobs and generate $20 billion in revenue per year", According to a UNESCO study.
READ: The million jobs in Africa's creative industries
In that context, African films are now getting the attention they deserve as African filmmakers strive to put the region's best stories to the forefront. Tanzania's first Academy Awards entry widely known as The Oscars, is inspiring production companies in East Africa to step up their game.
The African music industry has transformed into a whole trend-setting body. From dancing styles, cinematography, clothing and melody, creatives are pumping new ideas and work to the market, putting a noticeable dent.
Over the past years, African creatives have been storming the international platforms and markets with vigour and strategy.
Songs by Nigerian artists Wizkid Ft. Tems and Ckay have topped global Shazam searches and charts in the last few months. At the same time, the number of African 2022 Grammy nominees is unprecedented (United Nations - Africa Renewal).
Further, African fashion - propelled by a generation of innovative designers, local and diaspora markets, new support platforms and fashion weeks in Dakar, Kampala, and Addis Ababa, no less impactful than their better-known contemporaries in Lagos and South Africa - is increasingly reaching new markets and gracing global catwalks.
Hence, in that context, creatives are penetrating other competitive spaces across the globe. According to the UN, through a partnership with Afreximbank, 20 African fashion designers had a chance to showcase their creativity at Portugal Fashion Week in October 2021.
In the same vein, creators such as musicians, comedians, designers, and others that leverage social media platforms to reach audiences directly and monetise access are an essential part of this industry.
The governments in Africa are not only doing their level best to set up institutional frameworks, but they are fostering the growth of stable systems to leverage consumption and dissemination of their creative works.
Tanzania has successfully established foundations that leverage registration, monitoring and regulation of the creative industry to ensure artists' rights and contents are per laws and fair compensation.
As the new front of highly competitive audio-visual content producers, East Africa and West Africa are now evolving rather uniquely as they create their own version of storytelling and presentation-which ultimately builds sustainable value.
Currently, Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda comedians are forging a strong foundation within comedy as a genre. Over the past five years, a new wave of cross-over events has spurred to which upcoming artists are now getting a healthy chance to expand and grow their careers by gaining wider audiences across the bloc.
Performers from Kenya and Uganda are now filling stadiums and halls with loyal fans in foreign lands. Further, the ingenuity of modern technology has migrated into entertainment consumption and changed the mannerisms of content viewing and interaction.
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For the first time ever, comedy skits get real-time interactions via social media platforms such as Youtube, Instagram, Tiktok and Twitter. Performers engage with their audience and get feedback in real-time, which can be leveraged as necessary marketing and promotion fuel to boost production and delivery over space and time.
READ: Tanzania's booming entertainment and media industry
Standup comedy platforms such as Churchill in Kenya and Cheka Tu in Tanzania are not only challenging the old forms of presenting and branding humour but also adding value to the most contagious artform which now gets much attention in East Africa as performers get loft endorsement and ticket returns.
An excellent example is Coco Emilia, the Cameroonian fashion entrepreneur who has leveraged her 2.6 million Instagram followers to build multiple fashion and beauty businesses (UN).
"From Edith Brou, the Ivorian digital activist and TV personality, to Saad Lamjarred, a Moroccan singer-songwriter that used his social media to contribute to the mainstreaming of Moroccan pop, African creatives are now using social media and digital technology to reach new audiences, create new businesses and advocate around issues that are important to them and their communities," UN Africa Renewal.
Across all the creative sectors, Africans are actively leveraging the existing opportunities already on the continent to create new opportunities in 'Createch' and leapfrogging some of the barriers affecting their markets.
