Maps. Masterclasses. Measurement. Meaning. March. This quarter has been all about activating the research trove and expertise of the South African Cultural Observatory and levelling up in the dissemination of our data and insights.
South Africa’s cultural, creative and sports industries (CCI&S) are far more than platforms for artistic expression and entertainment. They are a growing economic force that contributes meaningfully to national development, job creation, and global cultural influence.
This delivers the most complete economic mapping of the sector to date, based on official Statistics South Africa datasets and internationally recognised accounting standards.
For decades, the Goethe-Institut, alongside other national cultural institutes, has characterized its activities as “cultural exchange.” However, the adequacy of this metaphor warrants critical scrutiny, as it may not fully capture the actual mandate of such agencies. Cultures are not commodities to be exchanged or replaced; rather, the primary objective of these initiatives is to foster the acquisition of new knowledge, perspectives, and attitudes.Call for Proposals:
As 2025 draws to a close, I find myself reflecting on a year that not only celebrated a decade of the South African Cultural Observatory’s existence, but also one that redefined what our next ten years will stand for.
The African Journal of Creative Economy (AJCE), partnered with SACO for the 2025 international conference, and to keep the dialogue going and share the insights from the conference more widely, they invite speakers to contribute their work to the African Journal of Creative Economy.
Following the dawn of a new South Africa in 1994, young people embraced their newfound freedoms by expressing their identities and viewpoints through a variety of cultural disciplines, including music, fashion, performance, and the visual arts.
For many of South Africa’s creatives, December arrives with its own unique rhythm. It’s a month where the country’s cultural heartbeat becomes impossible to ignore.
Beyond the plenary sessions and panel discussions, the first floor at the DHL Stadium emerged as one of the most dynamic and engaging areas at the SACO 5th International Conference held in November 2025.
The setting was a stadium — not your typical venue for a creative-economy conference. But then, the creative and sports economies are not typical industries. They are dynamic, expressive, and increasingly central to how we work, play, and imagine the future.
The South African Cultural Observatory (SACO) was launched in 2015 after a public procurement process.
On Thursday, 8 August 2025, the Youngblood Gallery in Cape Town came alive with rhythm, colour, and powerful conversations as artists, researchers, and music lovers gathered for the Women in Live Music Dissemination Session.
