Twelve entrepreneurs from Malawi, South Africa and Lesotho recently presented their creative industry businesses to potential investors during the Creation Africa event in South Africa.
According to TimesLive, the event marked the culmination of the Creation Africa programme, R24 million initiative funded by the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs.
Designed to foster creative entrepreneurship in Africa, the programme aims to equip talent with the skills, mentorship and seed funding needed to scale up their businesses and connect with international investors.
French Ambassador to South Africa, David Martinon, told TimesLive that “these entrepreneurs represent the future of Africa’s creative industry”.
He said by equipping them with the tools to succeed, they are promoting not only innovation but also economic growth in South Africa, Malawi, Lesotho and beyond.
The 12 finalists have come from various creative sectors including fashion, video games, audiovisual production and music.
Malawi has made the list through fashion designer Terry Made and Kwacha Creative Studios.
Terry Made said on Monday that he is happy to be part of the Creative Africa programme and that he has had a chance of being mentored by renowned players in Africa.
“Making it as one of the 12 finalists is no mean achievement. We made it to the top 12 from the top 40, which came from 702 applicants,” he said.
Terry Made said they have undergone several sessions on top of receiving seed funding, allocated based on their needs.
“For us, we would like to add more machinery and expand production to cater for the market,” the Blantyre-based designer said.
Meanwhile, the 12 finalists will this month travel to Paris, France, to take part in BIG 2024, Europe’s largest business and investment forum.
The organisers said the event offers the finalists an opportunity to expand their global networks, forge new partnerships and further their impact on the creative industries.
Apart from Malawian creatives, the other finalists include Ananta Design Studio, Giya and LSJ Clothing from South Africa and SourceCode Motion Pictures from Lesotho.
