The arts and culture sector is at the frontline of freedom of expression. It is not only a barometer of a healthy democracy but also a significant employer in South Africa.
“In economic and employment terms alone, the arts are gold,” says Marcus Desando, the chief executive of the Arts & Culture Trust (ACT). The trust is one of the key developers of the arts and arts education in South Africa through its scholarships, bursaries and training programmes.
This year ACT celebrates 25 years, with Nedbank as its founding and ongoing funder.
What is confusing is the government’s failure to properly fund the arts and arts education. The South African Cultural Observatory (Saco) in Port Elizabeth — which maps, measures, values and calculates the gross domestic product (GDP) contribution of South Africa’s cultural and creative industries — pegs it at R63-billion a year.
“This represents 1.7% of the total GDP and this sector has been growing faster than the rest of the economy,” says Saco’s executive director, Unathi Lutshaba. “The [cultural and creative industries] achieved an average growth rate of 4.8% per year between 2011 and 2016 compared with only 1.6% per year for the whole economy over this period. In addition, these industries drive substantial job creation, as the total number employed in the creative economy is estimated to be just over one million.”
Saco is the department of arts and culture’s research arm and is hosted by Nelson Mandela University, together with Rhodes University, the University of Fort Hare and the University of KwaZulu-Natal. Despite Saco’s government backing, the message about the economic contribution of the cultural and creative industries is not translating into policy to fund the arts. This leaves organisations such as ACT and its funders to carry the torch.
“We recognise how essential it is to invest in the arts and arts education to inspire growth and development in South Africa,” says the marketing manager of the Nedbank Arts Affinity, Yvonne Verrall.
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