Saco executive director Unathi Lutshaba
Over 250 leaders from across the world will converge in Cape Town next week to envision how artificial intelligence, innovation and global trade are reshaping the creative economy.
The Department of Sport, Arts and Culture and the South African Cultural Observatory (Saco) will host their International Conference on 4 and 5 November, under the theme “Creative and Sports Economy Futures — Perspectives, Policies and Practices for Tomorrow”.
But beyond statistics and speeches lies a set of deeper questions: Who owns creativity in an age of AI? Can creative workers sustain themselves in a digital economy that extracts more than it gives? How can cultural industries grow without replicating old colonial patterns of exploitation?
I spoke to Unathi Lutshaba, executive director of Saco, about the thinking behind this year’s theme, the addition of sport to the organisation’s mandate and what she believes an African-led creative economy should look like.
Like minds: Saco executive director Unathi Lutshaba, left, Deputy Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture Nocawe Mafu, director-general of the Department of Sports, Art and Culture Dr Stella Khumalo and Unctad chief of trade and creative economy Marisa Henderson. Photo: Supplied
The theme of this year’s conference, “Creative and Sports Economy Futures — Perspectives, Policies and Practices for Tomorrow”, feels both ambitious and urgent. What core question do you hope participants will leave still thinking about?
Our previous conference took place in 2022, just after we emerged from the pandemic. At that time, we called it “the creative economy reset” because creatives had gone through the worst.
Even before Covid-19, the sector was in a kind of perpetual crisis. Then the lockdowns made it worse.
The creative economy thrives on proximity. When gatherings were banned, it meant businesses had to close and whatever savings people had were quickly exhausted. And because the sector is largely informal, many creatives weren’t registered businesses and couldn’t access the government’s support packages.
By 2022, we were asking: “How do we reset from here?” Now, with a degree of recovery and stability, it’s time to ask what kind of future we want for the creative economy.
We know its size, we know its GDP contribution, employment figures and trade statistics. The next step is meaning-making — connecting creativity to commerce.
So, this year’s theme is about bringing everyone into one room — policy-makers, creatives, academics and business — to co-create that future.
The creative sector works best when it collaborates, yet we often work in silos, talking past each other while trying to solve the same problems. This conference is about finding new meanings of collaboration.
You mentioned that Saco now has a sports component to its mandate. What has that evolution taught you about how creativity and culture operate in South Africa?
When we first announced that we were adding sport to our scope, some people were puzzled. They asked, “Why mix sport with the creative economy?” But the truth is, the two are deeply intertwined.
Sport has massive spillover effects for the creative economy. Think about what happens when there’s a major sporting event — say, a Rugby World Cup or a local derby. People travel, book accommodation, eat out, buy clothes, attend concerts. They consume culture. You can’t separate the two.
In fact, there’s historical precedent for this link. At various times, sport and arts have been housed under the same government department. From where we stand, they’re part of the same ecosystem of participation, identity and economic activity.
A lot of people in the creative sector still face precarious working conditions — irregular income, no benefits, limited access to markets. What policy innovations could meaningfully change that?
That’s exactly why this conference is so important. Saco can’t solve these issues alone. They require collective thinking across government, academia and the sector itself.
Our research shows there are real gaps in policy, funding and investment. National policies often say one thing while district development models say another. So, we end up talking in silos. We need to sit in the same room, identify the gaps and design solutions together — not just leave it to policy-makers.
At Saco, our role is to bring evidence to that conversation. We produce research that informs policy.
But the next step is dialogue —engaging directly with policy-makers and creatives about how to implement what’s already written in the white papers and amendment bills.
We’ve studied precarious work and the socio-economic impact of creative policy. Now it’s time to ask: “How do we move from research to reality? How do we take the sector from where it is to where it could be 10 years from now?”
One of the more provocative ideas is the question, “Who owns the future of creativity?” What’s at stake when we talk about ownership in an AI-driven world?
Technology is rewriting everything we know. Creatives are using AI tools to make music, design graphics, even stage virtual fashion shows. In some ways, AI has opened up new possibilities — just think of how amapiano spread globally through platforms like TikTok before it hit the radio.
But there are also real threats. Who owns the data? Who gets credit when AI models are trained on human-made work? These are the kinds of questions creatives are asking us.
The conference will look at frameworks and policies that can protect South African creatives as AI becomes more embedded in production.
We’ve seen what happens when regulation lags behind innovation. AI should enhance creative work, not erase livelihoods. It shouldn’t strip people of rightful ownership.
Copyright and data ownership will be big talking points, because they cut to the heart of the issue — how do we build a digital creative economy that empowers rather than exploits?
This year’s conference coincides with South Africa’s G20 presidency and growing recognition of African perspectives in global cultural policy. What does African leadership in the creative economy look like to you in practice?
For me, it starts with putting the creative economy at the centre of national policy and imagination — not on the periphery.
For too long, our sector has been undervalued, underfunded and underappreciated. Yet it’s dynamic, inclusive and youthful. Most of the people working in the creative economy are young. We need leadership that recognises creativity as a key driver of growth, not just an afterthought.
At the G20 level, I’d like to see us arguing for a future where the creative economy is viewed as a serious economic engine — one that can help tackle unemployment and drive innovation across other industries.
How do you envision the conference fostering collaboration across the continent and beyond?
We’re expecting over 250 participants from across the world, including a strong African contingent.
But it’s not just about presenting papers — it’s about creating space for relationships and meaningful networking.
Institutions like the British Council, Arena Holdings and the African Export-Import Bank will be in the room. These are opportunities for creatives to connect with funders, policy-makers and peers they might never have access to otherwise.
Sometimes it’s just about being in the same room. When you bring together government officials, business leaders and cultural workers, new partnerships emerge that wouldn’t have happened on paper. That’s the real value of convening spaces like this.
What do you hope will be different about South Africa’s creative and sports economy five years from now, as a result of Saco’s work and the conversations taking place at this conference?
When creatives are empowered with knowledge, they can do anything. That’s what Saco exists to provide — knowledge and data that help people make informed decisions.
Over the past 10 years, we’ve built a strong cultural information system for South Africa.
Our reports now give a clear picture of the sector’s contribution to GDP, employment and trade. Creatives are using this information to apply for funding, start businesses and forge partnerships.
In five years, I hope to see a creative economy that’s not only growing but maturing — one that’s more inclusive, sustainable and recognised as central to national development.
On a personal note, what keeps you passionate about this work, especially when faced with the immense challenges of transforming how creativity is valued?
What keeps me going is the value we add. Through our research and our programmes, we’re constantly learning and engaging with people who are shaping the sector’s future.
I’m inspired by the young people driving innovation. Despite high unemployment, they’re finding ways to make things happen. They have the energy, creativity and critical thinking skills we need. Our job is to keep supporting them.
Beyond research, Saco also runs scholarships, internships and information-sharing programmes. We’ve helped design skills-training initiatives and partnerships between industry and education institutions. There’s always more to do, but we’re making progress.
It’s also encouraging to see private companies showing interest in the creative economy. We’re getting calls from corporates who want to understand how they can get involved.
I often say, “If a bank is hosting a strategy workshop, why not invite a creative into the room?” Not for marketing, but for perspective.
Creatives see the world differently. If municipalities, businesses and policy-makers start including them in their planning — not just for the arts, but for everything — we’ll unlock so much untapped potential.
At Saco, our role is to empower, inform and amplify those voices that don’t always reach the boardrooms where decisions are made.
That’s what keeps me passionate. It’s about helping South Africa’s creatives be heard — and shaping a future where their work truly matters.