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NAAK and Vumaala to take SA electronic sounds to Amsterdam

NAAK and Vumaala to take SA electronic sounds to Amsterdam

South African music veteran Babsy Mlangeni dies aged 83

South African music veteran Babsy Mlangeni dies aged 83

SA: Moonchild Sanelly to release Afro-house project ‘The Blueprint’

SA: Moonchild Sanelly to release Afro-house project ‘The Blueprint’

SA: Sasa MSK teams up with S’Villa, Epic Minds on new single ‘Sabela’

SA: Sasa MSK teams up with S’Villa, Epic Minds on new single ‘Sabela’

Feather Awards 2026 in SA: All the nominees

Feather Awards 2026 in SA: All the nominees

ACCES nominated for best music biz conference at MBAA

ACCES nominated for best music biz conference at MBAA

Milk + Cookies Festival to return to South Africa in January 2027

Milk + Cookies Festival to return to South Africa in January 2027

Snapchat adds AI tools that turn chats into songs for Lens+ subscribers

Snapchat adds AI tools that turn chats into songs for Lens+ subscribers

Kenya: Tommy WÁ and Labdi to perform in Nairobi as part of MobiArts Tour

Kenya: Tommy WÁ and Labdi to perform in Nairobi as part of MobiArts Tour

Roster launches Star Power tool to compare artists using public music data

Roster launches Star Power tool to compare artists using public music data

Egypt: TooFuse release debut album ‘Earth’ after Montpellier performance

Egypt: TooFuse release debut album ‘Earth’ after Montpellier performance

Sacem, Deezer launch professional music service for independent businesses

Sacem, Deezer launch professional music service for independent businesses

NEFCISA
NEFCISA

The Music In Africa Foundation (MIAF) is proud of 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 running a national programme that is creating jobs, addressing skills gaps, and strengthening 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 is recruiting and training participants, matching them with host organisations, and has already placed 1 500 workers across the country — surpassing its original target of 1 000. NEFCISA is delivered through a network of 20 host organisations spanning five provinces, who are actively hosting participants and contributing to work for the common good across South Africa's creative and cultural industries. 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 Conference and Showcase Festival is Africa's leading music industry gathering, bringing together the people shaping the future of the continent's music business. Artists, entrepreneurs, executives, investors, policymakers and cultural leaders from across Africa and around the world come to ACCES to build partnerships, exchange ideas, discover talent and create new business opportunities. Since its launch in 2017, ACCES has become the continent's premier platform for professional exchange and music market development. Combining a high-level conference with a curated showcase festival, networking, exhibitions and industry programmes, ACCES offers a unique space where creativity meets business and where African music connects with the global industry.

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 [email protected]. 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

Music In Africa
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Music In Africa hosts ground-breaking Nigerian music anniversary event.

Home/Non classé/Music In Africa hosts ground-breaking Nigerian music anniversary event.

The event commenced with the screening of Music In Africa’s promotional video and a brief introduction of the Music In Africa project by Ed Keazor, Regional Editor (Anglophone West Africa). The first guest speaker was veteran broadcaster and music historian, Benson Idonije, who traced the nascent origins of Nigerian popular music from the 1920s through to 1970. A key highlight of his presentation was the circular nature of certain musical styles and the extinction of a number of hitherto popular genres.

He was followed by highly respected blogger, music historian and producer, Uchenna Ikonne, who spoke on the evolution of Nigerian popular music through the 1970s on to the 1990s. Highlights were a detailed analysis of the death of the major record companies and the impact on popular music. Ikonne was followed by veteran radio DJ and Nigeria’s pioneer of digital radio, Raymond Bola Browne, who discussed the Nigerian music renaissance of the 1990s on to the new millennium and the place of digital radio.

The next presentation was by globally respected entertainment lawyer and CEO of the 960 Music Group, Mark Redguard, also the former CMO of Spinlet. His presentation was naturally on the Nigerian digital music revolution. Some interesting pieces of information included the fact that telco MTN is Nigeria’s biggest distributor of digital music and the multi-billion potential of the Nigerian digital music industry.

The final presentation was delivered by Nigerian music industry legend, Obi Asika, founder of Storm Records, Storm 360 and Dragon Africa, who incidentally was recently appointed Senior Special Assistant to the President of Nigeria, on social media. His detailed presentation traced the growth of the phenomenon of ‘Nigerian soft power’ – this being in simple terms the Nigerian creative revolution of the 21st century, encompassing music, movies, fashion and literature. His presentation examined the growth of the Nigerian international music phenomenon and ended with a warning that operators would do well to avoid complacency as new African powers, such as Angola, were gearing up for their day in the sun.

The event was concluded with the presentation of certificates of recognition to a number of Nigerian music legends for their contributions to the growth of Nigerian popular music. These included speakers, Benson Idonije (for contributions to music broadcasting), Uchenna Ikonne (for contributions to music journalism) and Obi Asika (for contributions to the growth of the recording industry). Others included highlife legends Sir Victor Olaiya, Chris Ajilo and E.C.Arinze. Also honoured were the pride of Jos, Alhaji Dan Maraya Jos, Nigerian Afro-beat and hip-hop legend Ade Bantu, who was present to receive his award, and lastly Naija-pop legend, 2face Idibia, whose award was received on his behalf by his record company CEO, Mark Redguard.

Overall, the four-hour event was acknowledged by all present as one of the most comprehensive and serious overviews of the Nigerian popular music industry, with a high quality of presentations and insightful and animated interaction from the audience, which included a cross-section of journalists, music industry representatives, industry operators and music academics.

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