The South Africa Cultural Observatory pegs the nation’s creative industries at roughly 3% of GDP, with sports adding just under 1%. Both sectors are growing fast. The figures come from the 2025 Capstone Report on the Economic Mapping of the Cultural, Creative and Sports Industries, which the Observatory cited in placing the global creative economy at $60 billion USD. FAME Week Africa 2026 was convened as a strategic platform to answer a policy question: how to strengthen South Africa’s reputation by promoting authentic storytelling and fostering collaboration among government, business, civil society, and the creative sector.
Brand South Africa used that platform to introduce global audiences to South Africa’s creative talent. The organization, the country’s official nation-branding body, framed the week as a collaborative opportunity to challenge assumptions and build cross-border connections, strengthening the position of South African storytelling both domestically and internationally. The underlying case is economic as much as cultural: the Observatory’s data underscores the industries’ contribution to employment, skills development, and international partnerships.
Before the official opening, Brand South Africa partnered with the US-founded AfriNova Entertainment Group, which now operates in South Africa, to host a mixer at Lourensford Estate. Stakeholders included NV Film Studios, which has hosted over 300 productions in three years. South African Creative Director and Play Your Part Ambassador Imraan Christian facilitated the dialogue.
What followed was a fireside chat between NV Film Studios Chair Simo Kubheka and AfriNova CEO Autumn Bailey-Ford on collaborative strategies to advance the industry. Bailey-Ford, a US producer, called the current period crucial for driving systemic change. She argued the industry must move beyond cultural exchange and into profitable investment, and that investing in African storytelling means supporting the people who tell these narratives. She was blunt about representation: until five years ago, she was the only woman and woman of color in ninety-five percent of the rooms she was invited into, and her legacy involves opening doors for aspiring filmmakers.
Brand South Africa Chief Marketing Officer Mmaphuti Rankapole-Tshifularu reinforced that investment case at the mixer and again at the official Opening Ceremony, backing diversity through initiatives like the Inclusive Lens Awards, a platform for creating and narrating South African stories outside conventional boundaries. Meanwhile, the industry’s central questions remain unresolved: whose stories are being told, and how to create more opportunities for the next generation of storytellers within the $60 billion African creative economy.