Beth Arendse

Beth Arendse is a visionary cultural strategist and seasoned leader with over 25 years of experience driving innovation and transformation across South Africa’s creative and cultural landscape. Appointed CEO of Business and Arts South Africa (BASA) in 2025, Beth brings a rare combination of entrepreneurial agility, public sector insight, and deep sectoral expertise to her role. Her career spans founding and leading pioneering platforms including the Tshwane School of Music, the SA Creative Industries Incubator (SACII), and the Music Business Lab. These initiatives have empowered hundreds of emerging creatives through access to skills, markets, and innovative business models. She has also played a critical role in shaping national and continental strategies at the nexus of creativity, technology, and economic development, including serving on the Presidential Commission for the Fourth Industrial Revolution, the National Advisory Council on Innovation, and the SA Creative Industries Economic Master Plan team. Beth is a passionate advocate for inclusive innovation, and her academic pursuits reflect this commitment. She holds a BMus Honours cum laude in Music Communication Science and is currently completing an MPhil in Inclusive Innovation at UCT’s Graduate School of Business. Her research focuses on creativity as a critical skill for South Africa’s future workforce. Throughout her career, Beth has championed sustainable development through the arts, leveraging partnerships across government, business, academia, and civil society. Her leadership is grounded in a belief that culture is not only a catalyst for economic growth but also a powerful force for social cohesion and transformation. As BASA enters a new chapter, Beth leads with a clear vision to strengthen the organisation’s legacy while expanding its impact as a driver of creative entrepreneurship and business and arts collaboration in South Africa and beyond.