African Journal of Creative Economy

ISSN: (Online) 3005-9429

Page 1 of 4 Editorial

The creative economy in Africa: The focus and scope

of the African Journal of Creative Economy

Many countries have recognised the creative economy’s potential, encapsulating their intrinsic,
Authors:
Jeanette D. Snowball1 social and economic contributions to aspects of wellbeing and sustainable development. These
Richard Haines2 include building a sense of identity through heritage preservation, contributing to social
cohesion, cultural diplomacy and intercultural understanding, creating work opportunities and
Affiliations:
1
Department of Economics,
increasing gross domestic product and foreign trade.
Faculty of Commerce, Rhodes
University, Makhanda, Creative economies are essential to innovation, technology and economic development in many
South Africa cities and regions. They are also cornerstones of sustainable development, community
engagement and dialogue across cultures and generations. Africa is at a particularly interesting
School of Economics,
2

Development and Toursim, conjunction globally regarding creative economy issues and dynamics.
Nelson Mandela University,
Gqeberha, South Africa The creative industries are among the world’s fastest-growing sectors (UNCTAD 2022).
Although negatively impacted by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) crisis, as many
Corresponding author:
Jeanette Snowball, sectors based on in-person contract work were (Bunketi Buse 2020), it has recovered well, and
j.snowball@ru.ac.za some of the innovations adopted during the pandemic have improved sector productivity and
resilience even further. In 2022, PWC (2022) estimated the global entertainment and media
How to cite this article:
Snowball, J.D. & Haines, R.,
industries (which do not include non-profit arts) to be worth $2.5 trillion, with an expected
2024, ‘The creative economy compound annual growth rate of 4.6% by 2026.
in Africa: The focus and scope
of the African Journal of The potential of the creative economy has been recognised in the African context through the
Creative Economy’, African
Journal of Creative
African Union ‘Plan of Action on the Cultural and Creative Industries in Africa’ and Agenda 2063
Economy 1(1), a3. https://doi. as part of Aspiration 5: ‘Africa with a strong cultural identity, common heritage, values and
org/10.4102/ajce.v1i1.3 ethics’ (AU 2015). There is an excellent opportunity for African countries to build on our rich
cultural heritage, both tangible and intangible, to strengthen the economy, boost cultural trade
Copyright:
© 2024. The Authors. and build regional alliances (Kabanda 2018). However, the success of this development depends
Licensee: AOSIS. This work on a well-designed cultural policy that strikes a balance between protecting African cultural
is licensed under the artefacts and intellectual property while allowing for its fair and sustainable utilisation for human
Creative Commons
wellbeing (Nwauche 2017).
Attribution License.

There are many definitions of the creative economy and cultural and creative industries (CCIs).
Common elements involve human creativity in production and providing goods or services with
symbolic value and meaning that can be protected by copyright and other forms of intellectual
property (Throsby 2010; UNCTAD 2022). For this journal, we take a broad view following the
UNESCO Framework for Cultural Statistics (2009), including both the traditional sectors, which
are often produced by non-profit organisations that emphasise public good values (such as
literature, music, and performing arts), as well as the more commercial applications (such as
fashion, design, and online gaming).

Broad definitions of the creative economy are important because of their implications for
cultural policy. While some parts of the sector with a high level of symbolic content are best
supported through public subsidy and education, others may need a more industrial or
innovation policy approach (Cunningham 2004). New directions and forms of cultural policy
are needed as current versions are not always sufficiently adapted to specific national and
regional contexts (Martell 2020).

For one, ensuring a balance between spending on public cultural goods and services and
Read online: investing in the creative economy is more instrumental than in past decades. Secondly, a related
Scan this QR concern for progressive cultural policy is to address fully the harsh asymmetry between the
code with your
smart phone or increasing power of transnational digital platforms and the creators of much of the content on
mobile device which the super profits of these structures are based (Buchoud et al. 2021). Regulation and
to read online.
taxation of such digital platforms is necessary, with the revenue appropriately directed.

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 Page 2 of 4 Editorial

Research on the creative economy has tended to be dominated transnational digitisation of cultural production, which made
by the Global North, particularly by the US, UK and ensuring more coherent control of intellectual property rights
Australia, although more credit should be given to the increasingly important. Under the terms of the Convention,
innovative analyses of CCI sectors by select institutions in and at the behest of developing countries, an International
emerging economies such as Argentina. Theories and models Fund for Cultural Diversity was established, as such countries
from developed-country contexts are then sometimes did not want the diversity of cultural expressions confined to
transferred to other countries without considering the the diversity of developed country cultural expressions (De
unique local context (De Beukelaer 2015). This is not to say Beukelaer, Pyykkönen & Singh 2015). The tension between
that theories developed in other countries do not apply to the pronouncement and practice regarding the Convention and
African context, but that there may be crucial differences the associated Fund and subsequent challenges such as the
between how economies and institutions operate. For advent of the mega digital and streaming platforms and their
example, in the ‘gig’ economy, Africa, with its large informal growing predominance in the globalising creative economy
sector and strong social networks, may have lessons for are issues that require more extensive scholarly scrutiny.
developed countries (Adegoke & Comunian 2022). The same
applies to sustainable production: in many cases, practical The digitisation of many parts of the creative industries and
resource constraints, as well as indigenous knowledge the rise of online platforms and artificial intelligence are
systems, have mandated a philosophy that minimises waste opening new opportunities and risks for African creative
and promotes the use of natural, local inputs and recycling. industries. The ability to reach new audiences via online
The African Journal of Creative Economy (AJCE) aims to publish distribution and social media platforms could provide
research contributing to the Sustainable Development Goals important opportunities for developing countries. The AJCE
adopted by the United Nations in 2015. The protection and scope will encompass the implications and applications of
promotion of culture are vital development goals, but they the multi-dimensional expansion and popularisation of the
creative economy and its representations in physical and
are also an enabler that contributes to the effectiveness of
‘hyper-real’ space. Digital platforms and social media have
other SDGs.
driven such shifts, as well as the colonisation of new domains
of creativity ranging from fantasy and e-sports to cuisine
The study of cultural policy has an inter-disciplinary
(Haines & Lötter 2024). However, as Nwauche (2017) points
lineage, which includes the writings of the Frankfort School
out, online cultural content can easily be copied, downloaded
on ‘cultural industries’ during the inter-war years and after
and shared, so the sustainable monetisation of the sector
(Hesmondhalgh & Pratt 2005; Schuetz 1989; Vitkauskaitė
depends very much on having strong intellectual property
2015). The 1990s and 2000s saw the increased influence of
legislation and effective enforcement. And at the socio-
neo-liberal economic analysis in cultural policy in Northern
political level, there is a growing realisation by artists and
economies and its transposition to a range of developing
creative workers in developed and developing economies
and emerging economies (Lee 2020; McGuigan 2005). This that such interventions need to be accompanied by modified
approach has seen more emphasis on laissez-faire and new forms of associations and collective action.
horizontal policies, such as the provision of infrastructure,
general support for innovation and the development of In these spaces, the new opportunities within Africa need to
human capital to improve market competitiveness and be shaped by creative entrepreneurs to grow and sustain the
decide the ‘efficient’ outcome (Lee 2020). These private sector CCIs, sometimes in a context of rent-seeking
considerations have been tempered, however, by by state elites (Haines & Lötter 2023). The emerging African
differences between the Anglo-American and French Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) seeks to boost intra-
approaches (Dubois 2016), in the design and development African trade via a progressive elimination of tariffs on up to
of cultural policy. In addition, the complex interaction 90% of goods and by shrinking barriers to trade in services.
between the historic West and post-independence Africa Among the stated objectives of AfCFTA is to provide for the
has impacted on the variations regarding policy conception inclusivity of women and youth, especially from rural areas,
and implementation in the differing economies of the in the development of SMEs and the overall industrialisation
continent. However, with the rising influence and success of the continent.
of cultural industries in China and the so-called ‘Korean
Wave’, there is now also interest in how more hands-on, The Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPPS) is
top-down and planned cultural policy might benefit a cross-border system upgrading a pilot scheme to a broader
developing countries (Ryoo & Jin 2020). system capable of operating within the African continent to
facilitate direct payment transactions (Usman & Csanadi
An important international agreement relating to cultural 2023). The system is anticipated to reduce dependence on
policy is the UNESCO Convention on the Protection and external currencies and associated financial volatilities,
Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions (2005). enable smoother cross-border transactions and lead to
The Convention came at a time of World Trade Organisation quicker, easier and cheaper exchanges among small
(WTO) restructuring when developing countries were businesses, including CCIs. The expansion of Brazil, Russia,
concerned about maintaining their cultural diversity and India, China, South Africa (BRICS) to include several African
industries at a time of expanded global trade and increasing countries, with further increases possible, may offer new

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 Page 3 of 4 Editorial

options for CCI collaboration and new kinds of business aimed at those investigating, evaluating and developing
activities. policies and practicing activities that have their origin in
individual creativity, skill and talent and which have the
In addition, special post-colonial cultural ties and institutional potential to contribute to wellbeing, employment and
linkages will shape CCI sectors throughout Africa, with sustainable economic development. Rather than simply
Francophone, Lusophone and Anglophone cultural applying theories and models of the creative economy
diplomatic institutions and ventures having continued developed mainly in the Global North, the journal aims to
influence within and outside the continent. New economic publish work based on learning and reflections from the
and cultural relations and networks will supplement such African and Global South and emerging economies
influences, including from China, Russia and the Middle contexts, problematising commonly held understandings
East. The continued importance of the African diaspora, and of concepts like heritage, sustainability and precarious
new creative and cultural expressions thereof, will also employment. The AJCE is a key part of this vision, offering
inform such creative and cultural crisscrossing. an open-access platform for sharing research to support
developing more equitable, innovative and sustainable
The social underpinnings of the creative economy in Africa, creative economies.
as well as the complex relationship between political activism,
democracy and creative practice, are important both locally
and in the international context. In recent decades, the nature
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