Our public and private sectors continue to treat creativity as an extracurricular activity rather than the strategic economic opportunity it could be. Now, a novel partnership between Henley Business School and the Leaders in Motion Academy is laying the groundwork to turn the creative sector into an engine for growth. Every day, millions of South Africans consume digital content– animations, mobile games, films, VR experiences – often without realising just how enormous the global creative economy has become.
It is a sector now valued at over $3 trillion worldwide. Yet despite Africa being the second-largest consumer of gaming globally, our contribution to this trillion-dollar industry remains painfully small. The irony is stark: we are a continent rich in creativity, storytelling, innovation and cultural capital.
But we are not yet rich in the infrastructure, investment and coordinated systems needed to translate those assets into global-scale businesses. South Africa today has more than 252 gaming and digital content studios, yet only about six generate real, sustainable revenue. These numbers tell a story of an industry that is bursting with potential but lacking the oxygen of investment and structured development.
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This is not for lack of talent. It is for lack of investment, planning, infrastructure, and belief. We applaud Amapiano when it takes over global charts.
But that same appetite for global recognition has not yet been extended to our digital creative industries – gaming, animation, immersive content and film, could be some of South Africa’s most profitable export sectors if properly backed. One of the most pressing issues we face is the high barrier to entry into creative education. A year of film studies at a public university can cost over R140,000 – an impossible figure for most, especially for young people in rural or township communities who are brimming with talent but face staggering socioeconomic constraints.
Even worse, society still labels creative careers as “not real jobs.” Parents discourage their children from entering the field. And the educational system rarely exposes young people to digital creative skills early enough. If we are serious about competing globally, then gaming, animation, and digital content development need to be introduced at primary and high school level.
Talent must be nurtured long before matric. Exposure must be the rule, not the exception. To move from fragmented talent to scalable impact, we need structured pipelines that source talent from across sectors and combine creative capability with business and technical acumen.
It is not enough for a young creative to be gifted. Creative entrepreneurs must learn not only to produce content, but to run sustainable ventures. They must know how to package, pitch, commercialise and export their creative product.
This is why partnerships between industry and business schools matter. Initiatives such as a proposed 12-month accredited creative enterprise programme – developed in collaboration between theLeaders in Motion AcademyandHenley Business School Africa– aim to do exactly this: combine creative training, business education and incubation support into a single, investable pathway. Finance remains one of the sector’s biggest constraints.
Development banks and commercial lenders still struggle to fund creative media companies, largely because intellectual property and intangible assets are poorly understood within traditional financing models. The result is a sector that creates enormous employment potential but receives a fraction of the funding afforded to more traditional industries. If we are serious about job creation, policy and finance frameworks must evolve to recognise creative enterprises as legitimate, scalable businesses.
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