Poetics

In celebration of the establishment of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), the African Union and the Department of Arts and Culture will host a series of events to celebrate Africa Month throughout the month of May culminating in the celebration of Africa Day on the 25th May. These celebrations are aimed at encouraging nation building through unity and freedom from oppression.

The month of April is a significant month in South Africa as it brings the remembrance of its first democratic election back in 1994. With it, brings the exciting buzz of ‘freedom’ in the country, and what better way to show true liberation than by reflecting and witnessing the country’s cultural scene during the month of April

In 2018, the global gaming industry consisted of 2.3 billion consumers, who spent nearly US$ 138 billion on games. Research done two years ago showed that there were more than 11m gamers in South Africa.

The board of Business and Arts South Africa (BASA) has officially introduced and welcomed their new Chief Executive officer, Ashraf Johaardien who joined the organization on 01 March, 2019. He has taken over from the successful leadership and legacy of Nicola Danby, and then, Michelle Constant after two decades. Nonetheless, Ashraf’s fundamental background in artistry and arts administration has made him a suitable candidate for the position, and has given him the potential to drive BASA towards more success.

The report was aimed at exploring South Africa’s cultural goods trade with selected African countries between 2007 and 2017, with reference to the current cultural policy environment at the continental and regional level affecting such trade. The UNESCO (2009) Framework for Cultural Statistics is used to identify cultural goods, with trade data sourced from UN Comtrade (2018). This study is thus important in the light of South Africa’s signing of the Agreement (AfCFTA) to establish the Continental Free Trade Area in July 2018.