COVID-19: SA entertainment industry ‘to lose R3bn’

This is according to Unit Group founder and CEO Shaun Duvet who was speaking during an online discussion organised by non-profit organisation Bandustry on Wednesday. The Ultra South Africa co-owner said the estimate was based on projections that he and his colleagues had made on the impact of the pandemic on the South African entertainment industry.

“Unfortunately, our government has only put aside R150m towards the hospitality, entertainment and events industry and that doesn’t even scratch the sides," Duvet said during the discussion titled Finding Solutions for the SA Music Industry During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The panel was hosted by media strategist and journalist Shiba Melissa Mazaza and featured five industry experts who discussed a number of strategies that musicians could employ during the crisis.

Technical Production and Services Association chairperson Shariff Baker agreed with Duvet that the Department of Arts and Culture’s relief efforts would not be sufficient to ameliorate the situation, especially for technical staff.

“Most focus is on musicians, but the workers behind the scenes are most affected by the crisis," Barker said. "Artists have more than one ways to skin a cat and are doing it online. There is no relief for the live events sector from a technical perspective. Fortunately, some of the technical houses managed to look after their staff until the end of March, but come the end of April, I don’t think many will be able to assist.”

Despite the lack of government funding, Duvet, Barker and various other players are making efforts to provide private-sector relief for staff working in the live event and nightlife industry. One initiative is South African Fund for Entertainment (SAFE), which is driven by industry professionals such as promoters and ticketing partners. Another is Backabuddy, which can be accessed here.

During Wednesday’s discussion, which was the first of the Bandustry Live six-part series, Black Major CEO Sevi Spanoudi said that during the lockdown, musicians could manage their own content but cautioned them against hurting their brands.

“Surround yourself with people who usually make money from you such as your labels, management and publishers, and negotiate for a loan or advance instead of making a whole bunch of decisions that will cheapen your brand in the long term. Now is the time for labels to stand by their artists,” Spanoudi said.

Rapper Stogie T said this approach could be a challenge for musicians who preferred to create bargaining power before approaching labels.

Duvet added: “Avoid becoming part of the noise with everybody being online, and creatively bring the essence of your brand message out so that six months or a year from now you will be remembered.”

Bandustry director Melissa Fontini told Music In Africa that the next topic would be centered on music streaming and multimedia. “Discussions with digital platforms and legal expert Nic Burger are currently under way to have him featured in the next session,” Fontini said.

Watch the first Bandustry Live discussion here.