City of Tshwane wins bid to host ACCES 2025

One of the largest music trade events in Africa, ACCES was created by the Music In Africa Foundation (MIAF) in 2017 as a platform to foster the development of the African music industry. The event travels to different locations, offering a diverse programme of activities, including a two-day conference, a two-day showcase festival, exhibitions, policy seminars, industry awards, masterclasses, songwriting camps, and workshops.

The dates for ACCES 2025 are 13, 14 and 15 November 2025.

The announcement follows a competitive bidding process in which African cities were invited to apply for the opportunity to host the prestigious annual event. Tshwane was one of four cities that submitted bids for 2025, competing with Kigali, Kampala, and Tunis. The bidding process is part of a broader strategy to expand the event’s reach and allow any interested country to collaborate with the MIAF in organising ACCES for up to two years.

“We are thrilled to announce that the city of Tshwane will host ACCES 2025,” MIAF Executive Director Eddie Hatitye said. “As a vibrant cultural hub with a rich musical heritage, Tshwane is the perfect setting for this premier music industry event. We look forward to bringing together artists, professionals, and stakeholders from across Africa and beyond to connect, collaborate, and celebrate the power of African music.”

Following the selection of Tshwane, a series of calls for applications will be issued via the Music In Africa portal, notably a call for artists scheduled to launch in April.

Since its launch in 2017, ACCES has grown into a key platform for Africa’s music industry, fostering knowledge exchange, networking opportunities, and the promotion of emerging talents. Last year, ACCES was attended by more than 1,000 delegates in Kigali, Rwanda. Previous editions have been held in Dakar (2017), Nairobi (2018), Accra (2019), Johannesburg (COVID-19 edition in 2021), and Dar es Salaam (2022 and 2023).

The music trade event attracts a diverse range of industry players, including distributors, publishers, promoters, bookers, record labels, musicians, collective management organisations (CMOs), funders, policymakers, and NGOs.

About ACCES

ACCES is a pan-African trade show for music industry players to exchange ideas, discover new talent, and create business linkages. ACCES is held in a different African city every year, attracting active music industry players from across the globe. ACCES 2025 is organised by the Music In Africa Foundation, a non-profit pan-African organisation, in partnership with the City Of Tshwane, the South African National Conventions Bureau, and the SAMPRA Development Fund See all our sponsors and partners here.

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