Videos

Reflections on issues of gender equality and gender equity from women involved in the Cultural and Creative sector

Interview with Yvonne Chaka Chaka, a South African Singer/Songwriter and Owner of Chaka Chaka Music, for Women's Day

Reflections on issues of gender equality and gender equity from women involved in the Cultural and Creative sector

Interview with Professor Jen Snowball, the Chief Research Strategist at the SA Cultural Observatory, and Professor of Economics at Rhodes University

Reflections on issues of gender equality and gender equity from women involved in the Cultural and Creative sector

Interview with Unathi Lutshaba, Executive Director of the South African Cultural Observatory

The South African Festivals Economic Impact Calculator (SAFEIC) Guide

The South African Festivals Economic Impact Calculator (SAFEIC) is a free online tool developed by the South African Cultural Observatory specifically for cultural festival and event organisers so they can track the economic impact of their events.

SACO Conference 2018 Highlights Reel

Employment, job creation and the transformative power of creativity were some of the key issues discussed on both Day 1 and Day 2 of the South African Cultural Observatory’s (SACO) 2018 international conference at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth.

SPECIAL FEATURES

Word from DSAC

From the partners

Creative and Cultural Industries under the Spotlight at National Conference

Speech by the Minister of Arts and Culture, Mr Nathi Mthethwa

South African Cultural Observatory

The South African Cultural Observatory (SACO) is a national statistical and socio-economic research project, established by the Department of Arts & Culture, with the purpose of developing a comprehensive cultural information system in South Africa. The South African Cultural Observatory is hosted by and based at the Nelson Mandela University, and co-hosted in partnership with Rhodes University the University of Fort Hare and the University of Kwazulu-Natal. The primary cultural domains, as idenitifed by UNESCO, such as arts, tourism, heritage, libraries and museums, are the main research focus of the SACO and such research will support the development of intellectual capacity across these sectors.

The key functions of the South African Cultural Observatory include the following:

Policy focused research (surveys, case studies)
Reviews of current programmes
M&E – impact of government spending
Collection of statistics (databases)
Physical and Online access
Networking, sharing, partnerships

Executive Direction - From the desk of...

I am hopeful that as you read this edition of The Cultural Observer you are warm as this winter has been very chilly, with temperatures plummeting to close to zero degrees in some parts of the country.

Latest News

National Arts Festival Back in Face-to-Face mode

As you read this the final cultural shows of National Arts Festival are possibly on stage in Makhanda. The National Arts Festival came back in a face-to-face format for the first time in two years.

ABSA opens new art gallery

Absa has opened a new art gallery in the piazza of Towers Main in Johannesburg central business district as of May 2022. The Absa Art Gallery officially opened its doors with the first exhibition titled Voices: Past and Present.

James Ngcobo joins Joburg City Theatres

The award-winning actor and director James Ngcobo has joined Joburg City Theatres (JCT) as an artistic director. Ngcobo who was with the Market Theatre Foundation for nine years joins the JCT as of July 1 and will be responsible for developing and implementing an artistic vision for organisation’s 10 spaces.

Report Highlights

In this edition we highlight key findings from our recent reports. The reports are: a chapter from the Mapping Study that gives the provincial profile of the cultural and creative industry and the South African’s Animation Industry: Ecosystem Analysis.

SACO Releases CCI Mapping Study 2022

On Thursday, 31 March the South African Cultural Observatory (SACO) released its much- awaited CCI Mapping Study to the media and industry at an event in Newtown, Johannesburg.

The Apartheid Museum re-opens

The Apartheid Museum has reopened its doors to the public and is encouraging as many people to visit and tour the facility. The museum closed its doors in March 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Word from DAC

Mitigation plans to minimize the impact of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on the Sport, Arts and Culture sector

Statement by Minister Nathi Mthethwa on mitigation plans to minimize the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the Sport, Arts and Culture sector.

Switzerland-based Levedo Foundation, in partnership with Pro Helvetia Johannesburg, is calling on all professional jazz musicians based in South Africa to apply for its short-term relief fund.

EU Directive on Copyright in the Digital Single Market

COPYRIGHT is a big issue in the digital age. The copyright debate is raging largely between the European Union (EU) and the big technology giants. EU lawmakers have been working for two years on proposed legislation aimed at updating copyright for the digital age.

The SA Cultural Observatory - Measuring and Valuing SA’s Cultural And Creative Industries

The South African Cultural Observatory was established to undertake economic research for the cultural and creative industries in South Africa. The kind research we conduct provides such information as to the economic size of the sector, number of jobs in the sector or transformation. We publish the reports on our website and in various media platforms, including this newsletter, with a view to empower industry stakeholders with information that we hope they will find useful, informative and can be relied upon when making decisions that affect the sector.