Addressing the Challenges in Africa's Digital Creative Sector

During a presentation at Africa Games Week, the challenges faced by the creative industries pipeline in Africa were discussed. The research, led by Dr. Tegan Bristow from the Wits University School of Arts in collaboration with the Fak'ugesi African Digital Innovation Festival, focused on the role of intermediaries in digital creative industries, including animation and games, and identified gaps in the pipeline. Dr. Bristow defined intermediaries as individuals and organizations that facilitate the production, development, distribution, aggregation, and monetization of creative work, thereby contributing to the growth of the African digital creative industry. The research aimed to understand the state of Africa's digital infrastructure by surveying 166 individuals from the creative industries in 2022. According to Dr. Bristow, the entire value chain within the African continent is not well considered, and one of the major issues is the lack of digital infrastructure support, which hinders the ability of digital creative industries to connect and work with it for monetization and distribution. The research team identified five key threats to the ecosystem, including the fact that the value chain is heavily weighted towards production roles, leaving other aspects, such as pre-production and distribution, underdeveloped. Additionally, most individuals in the production part of the chain are holding multiple intermediary roles, indicating a lack of capacity and support in the value chain. The second threat is the prevalence of small companies, with 47% of respondents working in companies with between one and ten staff, and only 55% reporting to work for registered companies. This is linked to a lack of established infrastructure and funding to support games production and distribution. The third threat is that many intermediaries are filling roles out of necessity, rather than being formally trained for them. There is a need for more training and bridging skills gaps, but currently, much of the training takes place in-house or through advocacy groups, rather than in educational institutions. Another threat is the critical lack of understanding and skilled capacity to fill specific digital needs in different sectors, particularly in animation. The final threat is the lack of government support for digital creative industries, with 74% of respondents reporting no government support. Despite these challenges, the research highlights opportunities for growth and development, including the increasing demand for digital creative content and the presence of African multinationals operating across regions.