NEFCISA
NEFCISA

The Music In Africa Foundation (MIAF) is proud to announce its partnership with the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) as a Strategic Implementing Partner (SIP) for its Social Employment Fund (SEF). Through this collaboration, MIAF is launching a new national programme designed to create jobs, address skills gaps, and strengthen South Africa’s creative industries — in line with the SEF’s overarching goal to generate work for the common good and build community value through employment, social contribution, and inclusive economic participation. Operating under the banner NEFCISA (National Employment Facility for Creative Industries in South Africa), the initiative will recruit and train participants, match them with host organisations, and place a minimum of 1 000 workers across the country. Key Objectives: Support employment and entrepreneurship in the creative industries. Offer skills development and training programmes. Foster partnerships between public and private creative sectors. Promote South African creativity at both provincial and national levels Foster community development through social contribution.

ACCES
ACCES

ACCES has stamped its authority as Africa’s leading music trade event. At the 2019 edition in Accra, the conference brought together more than 1 200 delegates from about 50 countries on the continent and beyond. The conference also hosted 76 showcasing artists from Africa and the diaspora, who got to perform for an influential audience at two top live venues in the Ghanaian capital. Apart from live showcases, the event features panel discussions, presentations, exhibitions, pitch sessions, Q&A sessions with prominent musicians and visits to key music industry hubs in the host city. Many of these activities will be planned for ACCES 2021, with the ACCES team already exploring a tailor-made programme that will cater for the specific needs of the local music industry amid the pandemic. ACCES is organised by the Music In Africa Foundation, a non-profit and pan-African organisation, in partnership with Siemens Stiftung and Goethe-Institut.

Gender@Work
Gender@Work

Music In Africa Gender @ Work is a three-year training programme aimed at upskilling and increasing the participation of female professionals in the African music sector. Launched by the Music In Africa Foundation (MIAF) in April 2019, the programme is connected to the MIAF’s ACCES music conference – a pan-African event held in a different African country every year. This connection enables the programme to reach new participants in a different African country every year. The programme marks the beginning of a more concerted effort by the Foundation to support the participation and inclusion of women in all facets of its programmes and the music sector in Africa as a whole. Over the three years, the programme will aim to address gender imbalances in the sector through training, lobbying, facilitating knowledge exchange and dialogues that foster the interest of women. The broader objectives of the programme are to: Provide industry training for women on critical music industry skills, focusing on: Stage management Electronic music production and recording Music business management Technical knowledge Provide an opportunity for both professional and aspiring women to benefit from the Music In Africa network and its broad range of activities in 2019, 2020 and 2021. Provide a solution-based platform in the form of a round table at ACCES with a view to identify challenges, discuss opportunities and lobby for the interests of female practitioners. Offer participants the opportunity to benefit from programmes offered by MIAF’s partners. Increase access to educational materials. Integrate participants in the broader ACCES programme to maximise experience and exposure to the industry. Record and present training materials on the www.musicinafrica.net, including but not limited to tutorials, templates and other best-practice materials. Communicate women-based themes that support the initiatives and messages of the programme. MAIN TRAINING ACTIVITIES Training in first country (Ghana): In the first year, participants will be trained on all aspects of stage management by a team of experienced stage managers from 10 to 17 November 2019. The programme will offer robust classroom training as well as practical, hands-on training in which participants will also be given the opportunity to manage various aspects of the ACCES performance programme. Training in second country: The second training iteration will take place at ACCES 2020 when the programme will diversify its course to include music production lessons and training on other music business topics. A round-table platform will also be introduced to coincide with the ACCES programme. Training in third country: The third training iteration will take place at ACCES 2021 in a different country, offering an advanced course. HOW DO YOU GET INVOLVED?  As a participant, facilitator or trainer: The programme enrolls up to 12 trainees every year. All opportunities are advertised publicly on this website, and will be added to this page. Please keep checking this page for new calls (below under UPDATES & CURRENT OPPORTUNITIES). As a partner Please contact Claire Metais at claire@musicinafrica.net. APPLY The call for applications for 2020 will be announced soon. The Music In Africa Gender @ Work programme is made possible with the support of the Prince Claus Fund, Siemens Stiftung and Goethe-Institut.

Sound Connects Fund
Sound Connects Fund

For cultural and creative practitioners and organisations operating in southern Africa, access to funding remains a major challenge. The COVID-19 pandemic has also had a massive impact on government policy, spending and the economy in general, and has seen spending on culture being moved further down the list of priorities. Further, the cultural and creative industries repeatedly cite four main areas where investment is needed for growth, which are increased visibility, mobility including access to new markets, finance and support structures.

Instrument Building And Repair Project
Instrument Building And Repair Project

Experience the Vibrations African Instruments Exhibition online in 3D

News

Open call: Mobility grants for artists and culture professionals

11 Sep 2025 - 11:28

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Artists and culture professionals from Sub-Saharan Africa and the EU are invited to submit applications for the Africa-Europe Partnerships for Culture (Sub-Saharan Africa Component) mobility grants.

The grant covers travel costs and accommodation for artists or culture professionals working in fields such as music, visual arts, performing arts, literature, film, media arts, cultural heritage, design, architecture, or fashion design. In the photo: South African-Canadian artist Zaki Ibrahim performing at ACCES 2024 Showcase Festival in Kigali, Rwanda.

This €8 million programme, running from 2025 to 2028, supports equitable dialogue and cooperation between African and European cultural actors, with a focus on co-creation, exchange, and mutual understanding. The mobility scheme primarily supports short-term transcontinental (Africa–Africa) mobilities, while European applicants may apply in partnership with African counterparts.

With the ACCES 2025 conference and Showcase Festival set to take place in Tshwane, South Africa from 30 October to 1 November, the Music In Africa Foundation encourages artists and professionals who wish to attend the trade event to apply for this mobility fund.

Grant Information

  • Maximum Grant Amount: €4 000 (about $4 670) per mobility
  • Total Grants Available: Up to 195 over the programme period
  • Application Basis: Rolling, with quarterly cut-off dates
  • Mobility Types Supported: Physical, digital, and hybrid
  • Geographic Focus: Sub-Saharan Africa (primary) and Europe (secondary)

Eligibility

Applicants must:

  • Be 18 years or older
  • Be artists or culture professionals working in fields such as visual arts, performing arts, music, literature, film, media arts, cultural heritage, design, architecture, or fashion design
  • Be based in Sub-Saharan Africa or the European Union
  • Demonstrate an existing connection or invitation in the destination country
  • Provide a clear mobility purpose aligned with programme objectives

Applications may be submitted by individuals or teams.

Supported activities

  • Artistic and professional development: Research, co-creation, non-formal learning, and building professional relationships
  • Cultural exchange and networking: Residencies, exhibitions, conferences, workshops, training programmes, and collaborative projects
  • Mobility types: Travel-based exchanges, digital/virtual collaborations, or hybrid formats

Eligible costs

  • Travel costs: International and domestic travel, visa, and insurance expenses
  • Accommodation: Lump sum rates (€70 per night in Sub-Saharan Africa, €141 in the EU)
  • Subsistence: Lump sum rates (€25 per day in Sub-Saharan Africa, €49 in the EU)
  • Digital/connectivity costs: Data packages, platform subscriptions, and equipment rental
  • Top-up support: Additional funds for childcare, disability-related expenses, and environmentally sustainable travel

Co-funding is allowed but must be declared.

Application process

  • Applications must be submitted through the Goethe-Application Portal (GAP) here.

Language requirement

  • English (with certified translations if necessary). Translation support is available.

View the original call here.

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