When I took on the role of SACO Executive Director five years ago, I never imagined what would transpire in the intervening years. COVID-19; the meteoric rise of AI; digitalization at scale; radical new trends; and many social, economic and cultural shifts.
We have lived, and are living through, one of the most dynamic, exciting, and difficult times in history. What does this mean for the sports, entertainment, and cultural and creative industries?
Well, this has been on my mind a lot, especially after the 2022 SACO Conference, which focused on what a reset could and should mean to the industries. But its greater than that. It’s about how we reconfigure a world that respects and embraces culture – of which sport forms a part – as both a tool for sustainability and inclusivity and the means through which we can build on sustainability values. In this, culture is underrated but incredibly powerful.
As we gear up to close the second term of the SACO project (2018-2023), and to include the analysis of the impact of sport into our mandate for SACO (2023-2028), it’s important to ground ourselves in the urgency of working to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.
This as the sports, and cultural and creative industries, undergoes the turmoil of dealing with perma-crisis, daily tremors and uncertainty.
Amid these changes there are significant opportunities, and we must have the courage to look forward toward a new era for humanity.
The past five years have undoubtedly been tough.
The sceptre of COVID-19 looms large over 2020-2023 and it is hard to see or think beyond its course-altering impacts. Still, within the pandemic and before and somewhat after it, there is space to re-imagine and new industry; and indeed a new world.
Of course, the major lowlight was COVID-19 and witnessing the decimation effect on the CCIs. We are still crawling out of the hole it created for many artists, creative workers, practitioners, and industry supply and value chains. But there have been some silver linings.
The five big highlights for me over this period were:
We must believe that the future is bright; and work to create that enlightened future. We have an opportunity to do so in the next five year term of the SACO project. We welcome the opportunity to do so under the leadership of the new Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, Mr. Zizi Kodwa.
How do we plan to do so? Our process will focus on solidifying off the baseline of research we have developed over the past 10 years. Part of this journey is to:
The future remains uncertain. Advances in AI will change everything – again. But we have learned that some of the best innovations and adaptations come when disruption is on our doorstep.
The key is to be prepared. As the “StatsSA of the cultural sector”, we are in the best position to harness our cultural information system – with sport now – to advocate for the people and impact the sectors make so we can build the sustainable and inclusive future we want.
Africa Month, celebrated annually in May, holds signifificant importance for the cultural and creative industries (CCIs) in South Africa and across the continent. This month serves as a platform to promote unity and cooperation among African nations and reflflects South Africa's rich cultural heritage and artistic expression.
EUNIC – European Union National Institutes for Culture – have launched Spaces of Culture 2025, a call for proposals, supporting seven new cultural relations projects in Sub-Saharan Africa. The programme is an evolution of the European Spaces of Culture programme and prioritises collaboration, dialogue, and mutual learning between European and local partners. Spaces of Culture is part of the wider Africa-Europe Partnerships for Culture programme from the European Commission’s Directorate-General for International Partnerships (DG INTPA), which aims to encourage cooperation between African and European artists, creators, and cultural professionals.
I am filled with immense pride and excitement, as we prepare to host the 5th South African Cultural Observatory (SACO) International Conference. This year marks a significant milestone for us, not only as an organisation, but also as a collective of thinkers, practitioners, and policymakers dedicated to the Cultural and Creative Industries (CCIs).
Since being appointed as Minister of Department of Sports, Arts, and Culture (DSAC) in 2024, Minister Gayton McKenzie has been vocal about his vision for the department, emphasizing innovation, inclusivity, and the modernization of South Africa’s sports and cultural sectors. (VAR) technology to South African football.
Prof. Willie Chinyamurindi addresses the challenges and opportunities within the creative and cultural industries, particularly in relation to decent work and funding.