OPINION: Africa’s creative workforce is ready, let’s invest in it

Walk into a film set in Lagos, a music studio in Nairobi, or an editing suite in Johannesburg, and you’ll witness something extraordinary: Africa is bursting with creativity.

Young people across the continent are telling stories, producing films, animating worlds, and composing music that resonates far beyond our borders.

The question is no longer whether Africa has talent; it’s whether we’re doing enough to harness it.

The global creative economy is booming. It contributes over $2.2 trillion to GDP and employs more than 30 million people.

Africa, with a population of over 1.4 billion, most under the age of 25, is uniquely positioned to claim a significant share of this opportunity. But to do so, we must invest in our most powerful resource: our people.

For decades, Africa’s film, television, and entertainment industries have been celebrated for their potential but held back by a persistent skills gap.

Passionate creatives often lack access to structured training, mentorship, and the tools needed to bring their visions to life. Without these foundations, talent risks being stifled before it ever reaches the global stage.

Encouragingly, change is underway. Across the continent, organisations are building platforms that nurture the next generation of African creatives.

These initiatives offer hands-on training, mentorship, and exposure to global industry standards. The result? Not just better films and music, but stronger industries that create jobs, drive innovation, and fuel economic growth.

Consider the ripple effect of supporting just one filmmaker. A well-trained director assembles a team of editors, costume designers, set builders, sound engineers, and other professionals.

Each project becomes a small business. Multiply that across the continent, and you have an ecosystem capable of rivalling Hollywood, Bollywood, or South Korea’s K-wave.

But talent cannot thrive in isolation. Governments, private sector players, and educational institutions must collaborate to build sustainable creative industries.

That means policies that support local content, tax incentives for productions, and investments in modern studios and equipment.

It also means recognising the creative economy as a serious contributor to national development, and not as a side hustle.

Mindset matters, too. Too often, creative careers are dismissed as impractical or unserious. That must change.

When nurtured, these industries have the power to shape global perceptions of Africa, tell authentic stories, and generate significant economic returns.

African music already dominates global charts. Nollywood is one of the largest film industries in the world by volume. Streaming platforms are commissioning African content at unprecedented rates. The next step is ensuring our creatives are not just participating, but competing.

Technology is a powerful enabler. Digital platforms have democratised access to audiences, allowing creators to bypass traditional gatekeepers.

But access alone isn’t enough. Creatives need training in digital literacy, marketing, and intellectual property rights to protect and profit from their work.

Inclusivity must also be central to this transformation. Women, rural youth, and marginalised communities deserve equal opportunities to lead and create.

Diversity fuels innovation, and a truly competitive workforce must reflect the richness of Africa’s cultures, languages, and perspectives.

The creative workforce Africa needs to compete globally is not a distant dream. It’s already in our classrooms, our communities, and our studios.

What’s missing is sustained investment, structured training, and a belief in the power of African creativity to shape the future.

Creativity is one of Africa’s strongest currencies. If nurtured with intention and supported by policy, infrastructure, and education, it will power our economies, elevate our stories, and position Africa as a global leader in the creative industries for generations to come.

The writer is the Director of MultiChoice Talent Factory Academy in Eastern Africa