Open call: Creations Africa project for cultural entrepreneurs in SA, Lesotho and Malawi

Création Africa is a ground-breaking initiative by the French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs, coordinated by the Embassy of France and the French Institute of South Africa (IFAS). The project aims to boost and support cultural entrepreneurship in South Africa, Lesotho, and Malawi. Création Africa: South Africa, Lesotho and Malawi is based on a holistic approach that combines mentorship, incubation, training, funding and networking to support cultural entrepreneurs at all stages of their journey, but with a focus on entrepreneurs at the ideation phase and early stage.

Création Africa aims to support a vibrant and sustainable ecosystem for cultural entrepreneurship in Africa by collaborating with local and international incubators and businesses, institutions and partners. Création Africa will operate under the oversight of Team France, ensuring effective governance and strategic guidance.

Objectives of Création Africa: South Africa, Lesotho and Malawi:

• Stimulate and support cultural entrepreneurship in South Africa, Lesotho and Malawi.
• Bolster the CCIs in South Africa, Lesotho and Malawi.
• Promote international cooperation, business development and external investment.
• Connect entrepreneurs with their peers in Africa and Europe through an immersion programme.
• Encourage cultural entrepreneurs to adopt sustainable practices in their projects and businesses.
• The initiative understands the barriers faced by CCI entrepreneurs ready for global scalability: limited resources, high tech costs, and network and infrastructure access.

Who can apply?

The application is open to all entrepreneurs within the Cultural and Creative Industries (CCI) from South Africa, Lesotho and Malawi.

Applicants must:

• Be over 18 years old.
• Be residents of South Africa, Lesotho or Malawi.
• Be motivated to complete the entire programme of a minimum of seven months including the immersion programme.
• Have a cultural entrepreneurship business project in the ideation phase or early stage in the CCI sector.
• Have at least a business model and/or a proof of concept ready even in an early phase.
• Be willing to actively engage in all stages of the programme and participate in all hosted events (such as Pitch Day, investors' pitch, sectorial events, etc).
• Be prepared to travel to any other designated city or country to participate in an event or workshop. As part of this mission, all necessary travel expenses for events, workshops, or any other related activities will be covered.

The Cultural and Creative Industries (CCI) encompass a diverse range of sectors that contribute to cultural and economic development. The specific sectors can vary, but commonly recognised ones include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Music: Composition, production, and distribution of music.
• Visual arts: Painting, sculpture, photography, and other visual arts.
• Performing arts: Theatre, dance, music, circus, and live performances.
• Film and television: Production, direction, and distribution of films and TV shows.
• Publishing: Books, magazines, newspapers, and other printed materials.
• Design: Graphic design, industrial design, fashion design, etc.
• Fashion: Apparel, accessories, and related industries.
• Architecture: Architectural design and related services.
• Gaming: Video games, board games, and related interactive experiences.
• Crafts: Design craft.
• Cultural Heritage: Museums, archives, preservation, and restoration.
• Digital Media: Digital content creation, online platforms, and social media.
• Animation: Animated content for various media.
• Software and Interactive Media: Software development and interactive digital experiences.
• Transversal: Third places (Tiers-lieu), creative space, community centres etc.
• Multidisciplinary projects.

“For this project, we have established a partnership with the South African incubator UVU Africa, to implement and oversee both the mentoring phase and the incubation programme,” a statement reads. “With their substantial experience in scaling up start-ups, they bring valuable expertise to the initiative.”

All questions related to this call for incubators should be submitted via e-mail at UVUAccelerate@uvuafrica.org cc: projectofficer.faec@frenchinstitute.org.za before 26 January.

Download the original call below.