Open call: Music Business Academy for Africa 2024-25 programme

MBA for Africa was founded in 2020 by iManage Africa founder Godwin Tom and is developed in partnership with Music Ally, YouTube Music and Dr Carlos Chirinos of New York University.

Running under the theme A Music Industry Ecosystem, the nine-month-long programme commences in September, covering various aspects of the music industry, including live events, publishing, tech, recording, and support services. The modules offer comprehensive education on the African music industry, its economic interactions, entrepreneurship, finance, intellectual property, contracts, music production, branding and marketing.

Participants will learn from industry professionals about opportunities, challenges and strategies to thrive in the music business.

“In the last four years, MBA has produced industry leaders and successful careers, we are excited to be embarking on our fifth consecutive programme and introduce two new languages which will widen our reach in Africa and give non-English speakers a life-changing opportunity,” Elizabeth Sobowale, who was appointed programme director in 2022, said.

Last year, the programme established strategic partnerships in Senegal, Zambia, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Ghana, Uganda, and Tanzania, and classes will be conducted in English, French and Swahili.

“The industry needs all the available temperaments, skill sets, personalities, and beliefs,” Tom told Music Ally about the 2024–25 programme. “Sometimes the best people on paper may not do so well when others with more drive and focus have the same information they have. Instead, we focus on instilling our values of competence, leadership, and a sense of community.

“True power is competence. Every community needs leaders who understand integrity, compassion, and the impact of their actions and utterances. We believe this is the best way to approach learning and building careers in any field our students choose. We already see our students leading across the industry.”

Interested individuals may register for the next MBA for Africa class here.