Home News Room Some insights for DSAC to consider – a Funding Indaba, perhaps!

Some insights for DSAC to consider – a Funding Indaba, perhaps!

BY 27.09.24

Image courtesy of Shelley Kjonstad /Independent Newspapers

The South African Cultural Observatory’s (SACO’s) research report on the review / evaluation of the Mzansi Golden Economy (MGE) program illuminated some eye-opening insights about the MGE program.

Some of these insights are encapsulated in the following statements, from the report:

  • “Key stakeholders may have limited information about the magnitude and the different components of the MGE strategy”;
  • “Further research is needed to ensure that other MGE work streams not adequately covered in this evaluation are assessed”.
  • “There were areas that were identified by the focus group participants that were neglected, both in terms of receiving funding/ support or being viewed in the MGE as critical contributors”.
  • “The dominance of specific types of domains being supported (and concerns over the use of the UNESCO domains in the South African context) was noted during the focus group discussions”.
  • “There are differences in relation to the provincial spread”;
  • “The trends reflect concerns raised during the focus group discussions that urban dominance remains, especially among the larger events/ activities receiving higher funding allocations, although a geographical spread in all provinces and types of locations is evident. Specifically, participants highlighted the importance of raising awareness and communicating opportunities associated with the MGE strategy across the country, targeting historically disadvantaged areas and groups”; and,
  • “Partnerships and sponsorships are critical to examine the financial sustainability of the MGE strategy”.

To this end, the report recommended to the Department of Sports, Arts and Culture (DSAC), amongst other things, a Funding Indaba where various key stakeholders will convene to agree on a funding strategy for the Cultural and Creative Industries (CCIs), which, in its current form, is riddled with a variety of inefficiencies. To this end, coordination is being deemed as critical to ensuring the effective implementation of a strategy, hence the call for the consultation.

The Funding Indaba will also feature, amongst other things, a platform for the discussion of the Funding Framework the report is proposing, which is argued to support the existing approaches, and to feature different types of funding.

Even more information on the Funding Indaba will follow in due course!