In a major stride toward empowering Africa’s cultural and creative industries, the Africa Creatives Alliance (ACA) has been officially launched. Aligned with the African Union’s Agenda 2063, titled “The Africa We Want,” the ACA aims to harness the vast potential of Africa’s creative sectors to drive socio-economic transformation and global influence.
Launched at the inaugural Africa Urban Forum, the ACA is poised to serve as a catalyst for change, fostering continental unity through the creative economy. The initiative seeks to empower creative and cultural entrepreneurs to contribute significantly to Africa’s development and integration goals.
The alliance, formed in collaboration with a diverse consortium of partners, including the African Union, UN-Habitat, MoTIV Africa, AfriLabs, the British Council, and Save the Children, among others, marks a critical step toward realizing Africa’s creative renaissance. Together, these partners hope to tap into Africa’s vibrant creative sector to address challenges brought on by urbanization, while also stimulating Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth and generating employment opportunities for the continent’s youth.
The Africa Urban Forum emphasized that Africa’s creative economy remains underutilized, despite its capacity to drive socio-economic transformation. According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), the global cultural and creative industries generate annual revenues of nearly $2.3 billion and create around 30 million jobs worldwide. A large proportion of these jobs are held by youth aged 15-29, contributing approximately 3.1% to global GDP and 6.2% to employment figures.
Rita Ngenzi, Founding Director of the Africa Creatives Alliance, highlighted the need for a unified, continent-wide approach to building creative industry ecosystems. “While we have vibrant pockets of cultural and creative industry networks across the continent, a coordinated ecosystem is still elusive. The ACA will bridge this gap, drawing on best practices from across Africa to facilitate knowledge transfer and collaboration,” Ngenzi said.
The ACA seeks to create a unified framework where creatives across the continent can connect, collaborate, and thrive. CK Japheth, Founder and Team Lead of MoTIV Africa, described the ACA as a “big bet” on unlocking the potential of Africa’s creative economy, especially as the continent’s population is expected to rise significantly by 2050. With a growing workforce and an increasing reliance on the informal economy, Japheth believes Africa’s creative sectors can offer solutions to the continent’s job creation challenges.
AfriLabs Executive Director Anna Ekeledo echoed this sentiment, emphasizing that the ACA will foster collaboration between hubs, entrepreneurs, and policymakers. She explained that by empowering creatives, the alliance will help them make a more significant contribution to Africa’s socio-economic growth.
However, Johanna Kouzmine-Karavaïeff, a founding partner at Artisans of Innovation, noted that unlocking the full potential of the creative industries requires breaking down barriers between culture and economy. “The perception of a divide between culture and economy creates a huge gap. We need to orchestrate our efforts, apply them effectively, and raise awareness about the value of the creative economy,” she remarked.
With a united vision and a collaborative spirit, the Africa Creatives Alliance is set to unlock the full potential of Africa’s cultural and creative sectors, positioning the continent as a key player in the global creative economy. By aligning with Agenda 2063, the ACA hopes to not only contribute to Africa’s socio-economic growth but also inspire a cultural renaissance that enhances Africa’s standing on the world stage.
