This Africa Day, we are celebrating the surge in creative output throughout the continent, and its move away from extractive industries to a fast-growing, creativity-led economy. Africa’s creative economy, which spans music, film, fashion, publishing, and digital content creation, has transitioned from cultural expression into viable commercial businesses. This shift is driven by rapid digital adoption, stronger cultural IP ownership, the influence of the global diaspora and a young, growing population. Beyond the numbers, the sector reflects how Africa tells its own stories that resonate with global audiences.
From culture to commerce
A recent report by Boston Consulting Group says Africa’s next growth engine will be found in its creative economy, valued at about USD59 billion. Africa’s creative sector still accounts for less than 3% of the USD2 trillion global creative market and about 2% of Africa’s GDP, according to BCG. The group estimates Africa’s creative exports could reach as much as USD150 billion by 2030. The Brookings Institution estimates the creative economy could be worth USD200 billion by 2030, accounting for up to 10% of global exports in creative goods and attracting growing investor interest.
Unlike traditional extractive industries, creative sectors offer more sustainable value, broader participation, and stronger cultural influence. Across Africa, women make up over 60% of the creative sector’s workforce, driving job creation, local supply chains and community reinvestment.
Despite this tremendous potential, the fashion sector and the broader creative industries remain significantly undercapitalised, especially for women entrepreneurs. While the tech sectors attracted significant venture capital in 2024 – e.g. fintech (USD1.35 billion across 131 deals), cleantech (USD192 million, 37 deals), and e-commerce (USD157 million, 62 deals) – the creative industries received less than 1%, with only USD1.5 million in disclosed deals across the continent.
Growth drivers
Africa’s creative economy is being shaped by youth, technology, and rising global demand for African culture. More than 70% of the creative workforce is under 35, with young people using digital tools to build businesses and scale ideas, according to Brookings.
From independent designers to digital creators, a new generation of Africans is building global audiences from local ideas, often with little more than a smartphone and an internet connection.
Digital adoption is accelerating due to increasing smartphone use and better broadband lowering barriers to production and distribution. BCG estimates that 300-400 million Africans (40% of the population) are active social media users.
The 2026 African Creator Economy Report 2.0 shows that in key markets such as South Africa, Egypt, Nigeria, and Kenya, YouTube and TikTok each reach more than 114 million users, while Instagram reaches 41 million about 272 million accounts across three platforms.
Africa’s cultural depth remains a key advantage with its design, aesthetics, and storytelling offering distinctive content that is still underrepresented globally. At the same time, a diaspora of more than 200 million people continues to fund, promote, and amplify African creative exports worldwide, according to BCG.
Challenges
Brookings notes that limited infrastructure, including cinemas and live venues, continues to constrain growth, while weak intellectual property systems result in up to 75% of film revenues being lost to piracy. Monetisation is further limited by fragmented markets, low consumer purchasing power, restricted access to finance, weak policy frameworks, and data gaps in sector measurement.
Investors back Africa’s creative economy
Investors choose scalable models, improved distribution, and stronger rights management to unlock sustained economic value and inclusive growth, according to the Brookings analysis.
When Universal Music Group acquired a majority stake in Nigeria’s Mavin Global, valued at up to USD200 million, it signalled confidence in one of the world’s fastest-growing music markets. The label’s artists generated six billion streams in 2023.
Beyond music, Sony – through a USD10 million fund with the International Finance Corporation – is backing startups across film, fashion, and gaming. Meanwhile, companies like Carry1st have raised USD60 million and built globally competitive products while the gaming sector reached USD1 billion in 2024.
As the growth continues, Africa’s creative economy generates income, creates jobs, and shape how the continent is seen and understood in an economic context.
Who to watch in Africa’s creative economy
Africa’s creative economy is producing globally recognised talent and scalable businesses across music, film, fashion, and digital content. Here are some key players:
Music
- Mavin Records is a one of Africa’s leading supported by global investors and home to artists generating billions of streams.
- Rema is a Nigerian Afrobeats artist whose global hit Calm Down helped push African music into mainstream international charts.
- Tyla is a South African artist linked to Amapiano and pop, with international success driven by viral streaming hits, including Water.
- Amapiano (genre) is a South African sound that has grown from township studios to global stages, driven by digital platforms and international touring.
Film & media
- Nollywood (Nigeria) is of the world’s largest film industries, producing around 2 500 films a year and contributing about $5 billion to GDP.
- Streaming platforms such as Netflix and Amazon are investing in African productions. Kenya’s film rebate scheme has attracted international shoots, while Morocco’s Ouarzazate studios have hosted major Hollywood movie productions including Game of Thrones and Gladiator.
Fashion
African fashion is now a high-growth sector, with brands using e-commerce and social media to reach global customers directly. Women make up over 60% of the workforce and more than 80% in countries like Kenya and Madagascar, according to BCG.
- Thebe Magugu is the first African winner of the LVMH Prize (Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton), awarded by the global luxury group supporting emerging designers.
- Adebayo Oke-Lawal, is the founder of Orange Culture, known for gender-fluid and culturally rooted design.
- Vivo is Kenya’s largest women’s fashion brand, fully designed and manufactured in Africa, employing 450 people, 70% of them women.
- Mafi Mafi is an Ethiopian sustainable fashion brand showcasing collections at events such as New York Fashion Week.
- Mantsho founded by SA designer Palesa Mokubung, is known for bold prints and African femininity and the first African brand to collaborate with H&M.
Digital content & gaming
- Carry1st is Africa’s leading mobile gaming publisher, developing globally downloaded titles and raising significant investment.
- Platforms such as YouTube and TikTok are key discovery and monetisation tools for African creators. TikTok hosts millions of creators across Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, and Egypt, making it a major entry point for visibility, according to the Africa Creator Economy 2.0 report.
Content creators
Africa does not yet have a single dominant creator figure, but West Africa, particularly Nigeria and Ghana, currently leads the creator landscape.
- Khaby Lame is a Senegalese-born Italian creator with over 160 million followers, known for silent comedy videos that cross language barriers.
- Wode Maya is a Ghanaian vlogger who tells positive stories about Africa and its diaspora.
- Tayo Aina is a Nigerian creator focused on travel, business and urban storytelling.
- Mark Angel (Nigeria) is a creator of Mark Angel Comedy, one of Africa’s most widely viewed YouTube comedy channels.
by Denise Mhlanga
