MIAF announces third Sound Connects Fund beneficiaries

The SCF is now in its third year of distributing financial grants and facilitating comprehensive capacity-building programmes to eligible organisations in the creative and cultural industries. Since 2021, it has awarded 22 grants to organisations based in Angola, Botswana, eSwatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

The fund is made possible with funding from the ACP-EU Culture Programme, a project implemented by the Organisation of the African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) and funded by the European Union (EU).

The announcement comes after an open call for applications was targeted at organisations in the cultural and creative sectors in Southern Africa. The call closed at the end of January and 120 applications were received. The final 14 beneficiaries were chosen from eight countries and awarded different-sized funds amounting to €873 000. All projects will run until December 2023.

The 14 successful applicants of Sound Connects Fund’s third round are:

16NetO Limitada (Mozambique)

16NetO is a hybrid creative space in Maputo that mixes exhibitions, concerts, trainings, festivals, talk shows, work spaces, a restaurant and a craft shop. Visit the website. 

Afroprint Line (Namibia)

Afroprint Line is a brand located in Windhoek, Namibia. It produces a wide range of products including bags, clothing, games and decor. Their most notable product is their Swift30 board game. More info here.

Barefeet Theatre (Zambia)

A non-governmental organisation, Barefeet Theatre strives to make a difference in the lives of vulnerable children and young people using the arts. Visit the website.

Chenhaka Trust (Zimbabwe)

Formerly known as the Zimbabwe International School Arts Festival, Chenhaka Trust is an innovative and experienced arts organisation. The vision of the organisation is to contribute to community transformation and development through the creative arts. More here.

eSwatini National Council of Arts and Culture (eSwatini)

The eSwatini National Council of Arts and Culture is a non-profit administrative organisation founded in 2003 under the Ministry of Sports Culture and Youth Affairs. Its directive is to preserve, promote and coordinate all matters of arts and culture in the Kingdom of eSwatini. More here.

Fundação Fernando Leite Couto (Mozambique)

Fundação Fernando Leite Couto is a Mozambican non-profit organisation that aims to enhance and promote the sustainable development of Mozambique. It works with stakeholders to design and implement programmes in education, health and culture. Visit the website.

GEM Institute (Lesotho)

GEM is a community-based social enterprise and innovation impact hub promoting advocacy for active civic engagement, innovation through creativity and technological adaptation. Visit the website.

9Films (Angola)

Founded in 2017, 9Films is an audio-visual production company specialising in the creation of corporate, institutional and artistic content. Visit the website. 

Ntha Community Foundation (Malawi)

The Ntha Community Foundation is an education trust that fosters the use of creativity and innovation for entrepreneurial development. Visit the website.

Nzango Artists Residency (Mozambique)

Nzango Artists Residency is a vibrant cultural exchange platform for artists from Mozambique and neighbouring countries. Its structure allows the realisation of sustainable partnerships through artist residencies, music production and audio-visual content. Visit the website.

Open Arms Trust (Namibia)

Open Arms Trust is a charitable organisation/trust established in 2005 with the main objectives of empowering Namibians in the education, arts and culture sectors. More here.

Pakachere Backpackers & Creative Centre (Malawi)

Pakachere Creative Centre aims to be a hub for the youth in Zomba where the organisation implements different projects with the goal to make a positive social impactVisit the website.

POVO Afrika Trust (Zimbabwe)

POVO Afrika Trust is a Zimbabwean non-profit organisation aiming to be a catalyst for grassroots public engagement on national agenda issues in the arts, culture and sustainable development space. Visit the website.

Sky Alpha HD (Lesotho)

Sky Alpha HD is a digital urban contemporary Basotho-owned online radio station. Visit the website.

Read more about all the funded SCF projects here.