Music In Africa Foundation Annual Report for 2015-16

As I look back into the year under review I realise how much we have progressed and grown as an organisation. I am proud of our achievements, particularly in the development and implementation of practical projects for musicians, the rapid growth of our portal and coverage of the continent, sustainability and collaboration with many credible partners in different countries.

Traffic on our portal has grown to over one million visitors annually, with 11 000  music professionals registered. More music professionals and fans now see musicinafrica.net as a crucial tool for their businesses and for discovering music scenes around the continent. Content has been diversified and further tailored to meet changing needs in different music communities. This effort will culminate in a total revamp of the portal by the end of 2016 and will introduce a wide-ranging array of new services and functionality. The revamp is also an opportunity to significantly increase advertising revenue that will contribute to funding our operations.

We have welcomed 15 new partners in the year under review, strengthening our reach and capacity to deliver on our objectives. And as our influence in the sector continues to grow, we are keenly using this to the benefit of musicians in Africa, by co-implementing projects with like-minded partners. Offline projects such as the music managers training workshop and mentorship workshop in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the artists’ exchange programme in Mannheim, Germany and showcases during the Musikmesse in Frankfurt, Germany have stood out for me.

In terms of HR, we have been joined by new talented staff members who I believe are well equipped to increase our capacity in editorial work, fundraising and administration. The new staff members’ information is presented on page 9.

During the past year, there has been a consistent focus on governance, with the Board working strategically with advisory committees and the directorate to improve our processes. Having a solid governance framework is key to building trust and transparency.

However, despite the year being filled with so many positive achievements, I have to say it ended on a very painful note for all of us here at MIAF as we lost our beloved colleague and friend Ms. Henrike Grohs, who died in a terrorist attack in Grand-Bassam (Côte d’Ivoire). Her pioneering efforts in the formative years of the Music In Africa project, her work on the MIAF Board, and her energy and willingness to support the music sector in Africa will always inspire us to do more.

Acknowledgements
The Management Board and I feel we have the right balance of skills, experience and capacity both at directorate and Board level to run MIAF efficiently. On behalf of the Board, I would like to thank Mr. Edington Hatitye and all our staff members for their continued hard work and dedication. I also thank my fellow board members for their continued support and wise counsel. I want to acknowledge the work and positive contributions from our four advisory committees, the Risk Management Committee, Education and Content Committee, Membership Committee and HR Committee. Lastly, the work that has been accomplished in the year under review would not have
been possible without the kind support of our founding partners, the Goethe-Institut and the Siemens Stiftung. We are extremely grateful to them.

Dr. Ribio Nzeza Bunketi Buse - Chairperson