The year 2022 has been an eventful and exciting one for the cultural and creative sector. This is particularly so given that it was a year in which the industry was allowed to function for the full year without the lock-down restrictions witnessed in the two previous years.
After 4-years of not staging one, the South African Cultural Observatory (SACO) hosted its 4th International Conference in the City of Tshwane at beginning of November attended by over 450 participants who attended the event in person and virtually.
Inga Somdyala was announced as the winner of the overall Artist Award at the inaugural MTN X UJ New Contemporary Awards on 25 November, while Nkule Mabaso’s curatorial excellence was acknowledged with the Legacy Panel Special Award.
As way to signal the return of the awards, the Standard Bank Young Artist Awards (SBYAA) announced the winners of the 2022 SBYAAs at a ceremony in Johannesburg on 29 November 2022.
The 2022 Distell National Playwright Competition overall prize was given to Sibongakonke Mama who beat five strong candidates to go head to head.
Indigenous languages seem to be on the decline as African people increasingly adopt the English language as their mother tongue over their indigenous languages.
In this edition we highlight one of our latest research reports, specifically Gaming in South Africa: Producers and Consumers. The report was commissioned with an intention to build on the information contained in previous related reports with a focus on understanding gaming economies, business models and the consumers of games.
The United Nations Conference for Trade and Development (UNCTAD) will host the Africa launch of its new Creative Economy Outlook and Report 2022 at the conference.
The South African Cultural Observatory announces an exciting line-up of international speakers for the upcoming 4th SACO International Conference. The conference has attracted leading minds and experts working in and across the cultural and creative economy on the African continent, in Europe, Australia and the Americas.
SA Cultural Observatory executive director Unathi Lutshaba was recognised by the UN as one of the global Top 100 under 40 Most Influential People of African Descent.
As I pen this, I am beaming with excitement. After a four-year-long wait, the 4th SACO International Conference 2022 is finally here. We are literally a few weeks away from the much-anticipated SACO International Conference that so many in the industry have kept asking me about.
In our previous editions this section has been dedicated to key highlights from our recent reports with a view to providing insights on some of the main issues facing the cultural and creative industries (CCIs).
