Cape Town - Africa’s creative industry has the potential to make a major economic impact within the continent, South African film producer Anant Singh told a session at the World Economic Forum on Africa on Wednesday.
“The potential of the creative industries for Africa is enormous. As a continent, we are just beginning to tap into this potential through our exceptional visual and performing arts, and new media platforms,” said Singh.
Speaking at WEF-Africa, which is being hosted in Cape Town, Singh pointed out the existing success stories of the African creative industry. In his native South Africa, he said, the film industry contributed an estimated R10 billion to the local gross domestic product (GDP) and created more than 25 000 full-time jobs. In Nigeria, “Nollywood” was the second largest employer, creating jobs for more than one million citizens.
Singh also discussed the continent’s developing film industries, including in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Egypt. He added that another aspect of Africa’s creative industries – the cultural side, which included visual and performing arts – had caught the attention of the world and also had the potential of boosting the continent’s economies.
“Opportunities now exist where there were none previously as the world is ready for unique and fresh cultural and entertainment content created in Africa,” said Singh. “It must be noted that the cultural industries are becoming increasingly important internationally as they contribute significantly to the economy as key drivers and revenue generators. As Africa, we should get our fair share of this valuable pie.”
Singh is due to speak again at WEF-Africa, when he chairs a session on Thursday entitled “Africa’s Creative Industries”.
ANA