News Story

The SA Cultural Observatory was established primarily to undertake economic research for the cultural and creative industries. We publish our reports in various media platforms, including this newsletter, to benefit as many cultural practitioners as possible.

Are you hosting an event, discussion, debate, conference or any other celebratory happening to mark the UN's 2021 International Year of the Creative Economy for Sustainable Development? Let us know about it and we will add it to our database of events happening throughout the year. Your event will also be logged in our report to the United Nations General Assembly.

UJ Arts & Culture, a division of the Faculty of Art, Design & Architecture (FADA), in partnership with Andani.Africa, a creative industries research and insights company, proudly launches the inaugural Futures & Beyond Forum planned for 16 and 17 March 2021. The first of its kind in Africa, the Forum is a gathering of leading minds in the arts and the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR). The Forum aims to start a conversation on the role of the creative industries in the continent’s future and the development of Africa-led strategies for creativity and innovation in technology.

For those interested in music from the African Continent, it is worth noting that the that the African Music Vol 11,2 is now available online. Many of the articles in this edition first saw the light of day as papers presented at the ICTM Study Group on African Musics, held in Accra in August 2018.

In a year as difficult as 2020 has been for the cultural and creative industries, positive developments are to be highly welcomed. One such development is the successful recruitment of Dr Cynthia Ntombifuthi Khumalo to join the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture.

Limpopo-born musician Master KG continues his global domination and beat Nicki Minaj, Jason Derulo and Dua Lipa to bring home the Song of the Year Award at the annual NRJ Music Awards in France.

While many sectors of the economy have been badly affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, the live music sector has been the most severely impacted by the restrictions associated with the pandemic. This is according to the findings of the latest study, titled ‘Impact Analysis: Live Music and its Venues and the South African economy during COVID-19’ commissioned by the South African Cultural Observatory (SACO).

This heritage month I choose to reflect on what Bishop Andile Mbete calls the inheritance of a good name. amaXhosa call that “ilifa legama elihle.” I want to suggest that in South Africa we have an inheritance of a good name.

Since November 2018, I have worked as a Freelancer in marketing and design. I am one of the businesses that has been unable to source funding relief and have lost 3 clients from an already small client base, since the beginning of lockdown.

Since the first record of a case of the Coronavirus (Covid-19) in South Africa, individuals are being urged to avoid physical contact with one another, and stay home, amongst other things.

SA Cultural Observatory Chief Research Strategist & Rhodes University Professor of Economics, Prof. Jen Snowball will participate in and chair a session for Social Value Canada tomorrow on Wednesday, 30 September 2020.

The coronavirus (COVID-19) is the latest crisis that is going to affect the future of our youth. This pandemic has completely changed not only the family and social activities of our youth but also their daily routines and ability to earn an income.