THERE is growing attention on the role the creative economy can play in national development.
Across the continent, reports, panels and policy conversations increasingly point to the potential contribution of creative industries to gross domestic product (GDP), employment, and global visibility.
Globally, the cultural and creative industries generate an estimated US$2,3 trillion annually and contribute roughly 3% of global GDP, yet Africa currently accounts for approximately 1,5% of the global creative economy and about 2,9% of global creative exports, according to analyses by Sustainable Stories Africa and Brookings Institution.
The numbers are promising, but the creative economy in Africa may be discussed faster than it is being built.
Before we can measure the impact of the creative economy or claim the returns on investing in it, we need to first understand what it is, how it functions and how the people working within it build their livelihoods. Without this understanding, we risk placing expectations on systems that do not yet exist.
Structure of creative work
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While we often speak about the creative economy as a single sector, it is made up of many creative industries, including film, music, photography, fashion, design, publishing, visual art and others.
Each of these industries operates differently, but they share a common feature: most creative workers do not follow traditional employment paths.
Many creatives are gig workers moving from project to project rather than working in permanent roles. They may work on several projects at once, sometimes as collaborators or freelancers.
Globally, creative industries rely heavily on non-standard work arrangements, with freelancers forming the majority of the workforce in sectors such as film, music and visual arts.
They also create work for each other: one photography exhibition can involve photographers, curators, designers, printers, writers and event staff, yet none of these roles are fully reflected in traditional employment statistics.
Opportunity in the creative economy supports multiple livelihoods at once: when one project exists, several people earn income from it; when projects disappear, livelihoods stall.
Education, early exposure
In 2025, Unpublished Africa published a white paper titled “Navigating the Path: Art Education in Africa”.
One key finding was that structural barriers to creative careers begin far earlier than higher education, starting at the beginning of formal schooling.
In Africa, discussions about creative education are usually placed at the tertiary level, focusing on which universities or colleges offer arts programmes and how many students are enrolled.
This approach overlooks the earlier stages where creative disciplines are introduced and serve as the starting points for possible creative careers.
Art is removed from the curriculum before secondary schools in many countries, long before students can articulate creative ambition.
At primary and preschool levels, access is shaped by finances, school priorities and decisions about what subjects are considered valuable.
Arts education is often underfunded or treated as optional. While STEM subjects have long been prioritised, recent conversations have begun to recognise STEAM, acknowledging that art plays a role in creative thinking, problem-solving and learning across disciplines.
Even with this shift, access remains uneven, as creative skills are discovered through exposure. A child does not realise they enjoy playing the guitar without hearing music, seeing someone play or holding the instrument.
A future photographer cannot discover their interest without first seeing photographs or having access to a camera.
Without early exposure, creative interests remain undeveloped.
Cultural, institutional barriers
Many schools operate under tight budgets and when resources are allocated, arts programmes are often reduced or removed.
Over time, this limits how many young people see creative work as a viable option. Alongside access issues, cultural perceptions continue to shape creative careers in Africa, as creative work is frequently framed as unstable or unrealistic.
Many people, who would have expressed interest in pursuing a creative career, are encouraged to treat it as a hobby alongside more secure professions.
While this advice may be well-intentioned, it has long-term consequences. A young person discouraged early is less likely to invest time, training, and confidence in developing their craft.
When questions arise about why there are limited local films on international platforms or few globally recognised artists from certain countries, the impact of early discouragement is rarely mentioned.
By the time production-level conversations begin and skills shortages are identified, the pipeline has already weakened, with potential creative careers redirected much earlier.
Need for post-education access
It is important to acknowledge that arts education does not follow a single path. Many artists, musicians and visual storytellers develop their craft outside formal institutions, which is common in creative fields.
Formal education can be useful, but it’s not always necessary depending on the discipline and individual circumstances.
What remains consistent, however, is the need for access after learning. Whether a creative is self-taught or formally trained, opportunities are still required to apply skills, gain experience and generate income. This is where many creative careers struggle to progress.
Creating early-stage infrastructure
Creative CVs are built differently. Experience matters more than titles. Credibility is shaped by who someone has worked with, where their work has been shown and which platforms have recognised them.
Visibility plays a central role in this process. For many creatives, a first publication or exhibition functions as a professional passport rather than simply a promotional tool.
Visibility moves from self-promotion to a form of access. Being seen builds confidence, signals legitimacy and opens doors to further opportunities.
This understanding is based on what we have observed working with creatives across Africa.
The white paper on Unlocking True Empowerment for Women Photographers in Africa further highlighted that visibility is especially critical for women photographers and other underrepresented creatives.
Platforms for first publications, exhibitions or recognition do more than showcase talent as they signal credibility, build confidence and open doors that have historically been closed.
This reinforces the need for repeated, structured opportunities that allow creatives to grow their careers sustainably.
Support for creative careers is not just about training or skills. It requires repeatable opportunities, clear pathways and platforms that allow creatives to apply their work, gain experience and build sustainable careers.
These structures function as a kind of professional infrastructure for the creative economy.
Building skills beyond craft
From what we have seen working with creatives across more than 25 African countries, early-stage entry points such as exhibitions, publications and structured programmes can serve as critical stepping stones.
These moments provide first visibility, initial professional affiliations and early milestones that signal credibility and help creatives gain confidence.
Sustainable creative careers also require skills beyond the craft itself: administrative capacity, collaboration and understanding how to navigate broader systems.
When creatives develop these skills alongside opportunities to apply their work, they are better able to translate talent into sustainable practice.
Long-term support
Creative careers are not built through isolated interventions. Short-term workshops alone cannot sustain long-term livelihoods.
We need more support structures that allow creatives to test ideas, make mistakes, learn and grow over time.
If the creative economy is to contribute meaningfully to national economies, attention must move beyond surface-level investment narratives.
We need to focus on what happens after education ends, as that transition period is where many careers stall; not because of a lack of talent or effort, but because systems to support progression are missing.
Building a sustainable creative economy is systems work. It requires understanding how creative labour functions, how opportunity flows and where intervention is most effective.
Until these foundations are addressed, the potential of Africa’s creative industries will remain unrealised.
Chikumba is the founder of Unpublished Africa, builds pathways and platforms that help African creatives turn talent into sustainable careers. These weekly New Horizon articles published in the Zimbabwe Independent are coordinated by Lovemore Kadenge, an independent consultant, managing consultant of Zawale Consultants (Private) Limited, past president of the Zimbabwe Economics society and past president of the Chartered Governance & Accountancy Institute in Zimbabwe. — kadenge.zes@gmail.com/ cell: +263 772 382 852.