Music Business Academy for Africa launches programme in Senegal

The academy already conducts the programme in Nigeria, Zambia, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Ghana, Uganda and Tanzania. Originally offering the programme in English, the MBA will now also start offering it in French and Swahili to cater to a wider audience in alignment with this year’s theme of ‘Bridging the Gap’ across the continent.

Vazy Music boasts more than 15 years of experience in the cultural and creative industries.

“This initiative aligns with the needs of the sector because we must ensure constantly that the knowledge of the musical, creative and cultural industries is transmitted to future leaders in order to create a viable ecosystem for all players,” Vazy Music founder and CEO Boubacar Djiba said. “The MBA for Africa programme is the most advanced on the continent, the modules are adapted to the African context with the best practices conforming to the standards of the music industry in the world.”

The MBA was conceived in 2020 by iManage Africa founder and Sony Music Publishing West Africa managing director Godwin Tom and is developed in partnership with Music Ally, YouTube Music and Dr Carlos Chirinos of New York University. 

In 2022, the programme grew to over 290 students from over 31 cities across the world. Currently led by programmes director Elizabeth Sobowale, this year’s programme will focus on connecting some of the best young minds across Africa’s constantly growing industry to local and global opportunities.

This year’s edition, slated to run for nine months from July to March 2024, will cover seven modules across key areas such as management, marketing and A&R, educating students on various music industry trends and technology. It will also offer practical skills to build sustainable careers in the music industry, offering first-hand experience in creating, releasing and marketing music to support artists’ long-term careers.

"There was nowhere to learn about the business when I first started out in this industry, so I, like many of my peers, had to make so many mistakes, and it took me years to realise I had been doing so many things wrong,” Tom said.

“Not only does this programme give you access to the most up-to-date knowledge, and it also gives students access to networking opportunities to meet colleagues in a creative and entrepreneurial environment,” Chirinos added. “This program is a much-needed capacity-building programme for the creative industries in Africa.”

Meanwhile, this year’s MBA for Africa will continue with its annual Beneficiary Fund and Women’s Fund which seeks to ensure at least 50% of participants in the programme are women. The Women’s Fund hit its 40% target last year with support from brands like Linkfire, VBank and YouTube.

“The MBA for Africa Women’s Fund is really important to us,” Sobowale said. “As a woman who struggled to see the music industry as a viable career path, it’s great that initiatives like this exist to encourage more women to take part and have the opportunity to become future leaders, executives and innovators in the music industry. MBA is committed to creating a safe and welcoming training environment for women.”