Over the past three months, I have had the privilege of participating in conversations across South Africa and internationally, from Geneva and London to Gqeberha and Johannesburg. Although the settings differed, one observation remained remarkably consistent: The conversation about the creative economy has changed.
For many years, the question was whether the cultural and creative industries (CCIs) mattered as contributors to economic growth and social development. Today, that debate is largely settled. The evidence is clear. The more pressing question is how we unlock the sector's full potential through smarter policy, stronger partnership infrastructure, targeted investment, and forward-looking governance.
This shift reflects the evolution of the South African Cultural Observatory itself. For nearly a decade, SACO has worked to build a solid evidence base that measures the value of our CCIs, and more recently sport’s contribution in that.
Today, our research is increasingly informing discussions that extend beyond measurement towards implementation, helping shape conversations about financing, technology, sustainability, and the future of creative work.
One of the strongest themes emerging this quarter has been the ever-deepening intersection between creativity and technology.
At the Digital World Conference in Geneva, discussions focused on the opportunities and responsibilities that artificial intelligence presents for the arts and culture sector. Our own research continues to show that South African creatives are embracing AI with some optimism while expressing deep concern about intellectual property, copyright and fair remuneration, and the impact on creative work. These are not contradictory positions.
Rather, they reflect a sector eager to innovate while calling for the policy frameworks needed to ensure that innovation remains equitable and human-centred.
Equally significant have been conversations around financing and sustainable growth. At the Global Creative Economy Council roundtable in London, discussions centred on overcoming long-standing barriers to financing culture and the creative industries. These conversations reinforced an important lesson: evidence alone does not drive investment. Data must be connected to financial systems, policy instruments and collaborative partnerships capable of translating potential into opportunity.
Similar reflections emerged during engagements with the Australia Africa Universities Network, where we explored the relationship between the creative economy and circular practices, and through the International Training Centre of the ILO's dialogue on the future of work.
While these discussions addressed different themes, they shared a common understanding that the creative economy cannot be considered in isolation. It intersects with climate resilience, technological transformation, employment, education, and inclusive economic development.
Joined-up challenges require joined-up solutions.
This quarter also marked important developments closer to home. The recent Constitutional Court judgment on the Copyright Amendment Bill once again places the future of South Africa's copyright framework firmly on the national agenda. As the process moves forward, it presents an important opportunity to strengthen protections for creators while supporting innovation, and fair use, in an increasingly digital economy.
At the same time, SACO continues to expand the practical application of its research. The completion of the Sports Impact Calculator and our continued dissemination of the 2025 Economic Mapping of the Cultural, Creative & Sports Industries in South Africa reflect our commitment to developing tools that help policymakers, practitioners and investors better understand the contribution of South Africa's cultural, creative and sport sectors. Research should not exist only in reports; it should support better decisions.
Perhaps most encouraging has been the strengthening of partnerships that extend the reach of this work. New collaborations, including our partnership with the Cross Continental Forum, reflect a growing recognition that research, industry, and international cooperation must work together to build stronger creative economies across Africa and the Global South. Knowledge becomes most valuable when it is shared, tested and translated into collective action.
If this quarter has reinforced one lesson, it is that the next phase of growth for the creative economy will not come from better data alone. It will come from better connections, between evidence and policy, creativity and investment, technology and human rights, local knowledge, and global collaboration, and of course people, especially creative people committed to their work and this industry.
At SACO, we remain committed to ensuring that our research continues to inform these conversations. The evidence base is stronger than ever. Our collective challenge now is to turn that evidence into action that creates sustainable opportunities for South Africa's creative sector and the people whose livelihoods depend on it.
After all, what gets connected, gets catalysed.
