Sound Connects Fund announces first batch of grantees 

The SCF, a €4m funding programme geared towards supporting creatives in Southern Africa, launched its first open call in July in partnership with the Goethe-Institut South Africa. Eighty-six organisations applied from all the eligible countries in the SADC region, namely Angola, Botswana, eSwatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Malawi and Zimbabwe had the highest number of applicants with a total of 45 applications between the two countries. Most of the applicants applied for the Category C grant (€101 000 – €180 000), followed by 33.3% for Category B (€61 000 – €100 000) and 25. 3% for Category A (€35 000 – €60 000).

The final recipients were chosen by a jury comprising prominent figures in the culture and creative industries in Mozambique, Lesotho, Zimbabwe, Malawi and Namibia, alongside representatives from the MIAF and Goethe-Institut. The selection process was demanding, with the jury members favouring projects that are innovative, aligned with the Sound Connects theme and geared towards accelerating development and increasing the capacity of the cultural and creative sector in their countries. At the end of the process, 11 recipients were chosen.

The 11 grantees are from Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, Lesotho and Malawi. These projects will run for various durations: eight months, 12 months and 18 months starting January 2022.

In total, more than €1.1m was awarded to these organisations, which will be implementing projects in music, animation, film, circus performance, financial management, digital media and hub development.

The first SCF recipient organisations are:

Khuzula Investments (Mozambique)

Khuzula is a cultural organisation dedicated to the promotion of cultural activities, distribution of creative content as well as the development of the creative industries. Their project will contribute to the fast-paced development of the local creative economy.

Sipatsi Consulting (Mozambique)

Sipatsi Consulting e Gestão de Projetos has been in the market for eight years. Its main area of work is the provision of administrative and financial services to cultural enterprises.

Kay Media (Zimbabwe)

Kay Media is a multimedia production and consultancy company based in Harare. Kay Media will deliver a nail-biting animated musical miniseries.

Music Crossroads (Zimbabwe)

Music Crossroads Zimbabwe is a non-profit organisation that uses the power of music and music education to empower and provide opportunities to young people. Through professional training, live performances and promotion of young talent, Music Crossroads works to develop the music education sector and the music industry in Zimbabwe.

Magamba Network (Zimbabwe)

Magamba is a trailblazing, innovative, youth-oriented organisation that runs some of the most disruptive digital platforms on the continent. Its project will promote the development of emerging creatives and new media startups in Africa.

Morija Museum and Archives (Lesotho)

Morija Museum and Archives carries out programming involving archiving, research and publishing; museums, exhibitions and education; heritage management and community-based tourism; and arts and culture.

University of Malawi (Malawi)

The University of Malawi is the oldest university in Malawi with the mission to advance knowledge and promote wisdom and understanding. The overall objective of their project will be to strengthen the capacities of practising artists in Malawi.

Tumaini Letu (Malawi)

Tumaini Letu (Our Hope) is a non-profit organisation that is refugee-led and uses arts to promote peaceful coexistence, foster intercultural exchange and encourage cultural harmony.

Ngandu Events (Namibia)

Ngandu Events is a multidisciplinary arts organisation operating in the events, creative media and film production industries.

Quihaba FX (Botswana)

Quihaba FX is a proudly African film creation company that aims to share beauty and heritage of Africa with the world and to raise awareness of key social, environmental and economic issues that adversely impact the continent.

Circus Zambia (Zambia)

Zambia’s first circus, Circus Zambia, is on a mission to create change by using circus and arts to equip young people with life and social skills as well as educational support and job opportunities.

Submissions for the second SCF call will open in January 2022. Organisations that wish to apply should visit the SCF website.

About the Sound Connects Fund

The Sound Connect Fund is an initiative of the Music In Africa Foundation in partnership with Goethe-Institut South Africa and made possible with funding from the ACP-EU Culture Programme – a project implemented by the Secretariat of the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Group of States and funded by the European Union (EU). The Sound Connects Fund is also co-funded by Goethe-Institut South Africa and Siemens Stiftung.