According to a Business Insider article, Apple, Warner Music, Sony Music and Universal Music are seizing the opportunity to be part of the African entertainment boom, setting up offices and acquiring African music labels. Global streaming giant Netflix and other major entertainment companies are increasingly investing in African-made programming and content. The African TV market is expanding, and companies not focused on this emerging market may lose out on massive opportunities.
Importantly, FAME Week Africa is helping these companies bridge the gap. “Off the back of the highly successful launch of FAME Week Africa in October last year, the RX Africa team is hard at work to exceed the inaugural bar set so high in the beautiful Host City of Cape Town,” says FAME Week Africa Event Director Judy Goddard.
Adding to the year-round content hub, FWA Connect, FAME Week Africa will provide face-to-face opportunities for the film, arts, media, music, and entertainment industries to connect and do business,this will include a trade exhibition with pre-scheduled meetings by day and red-carpet events at night, all opening doors to connect with buyers and sellers looking to grow the creative industries in Africa.
“The strength of FAME Week Africa is that it brings the creative industries under one roof together to connect, create and inspire. This is only possible by having dedicated B2B marketplaces catering for film and television, arts, music, media and entertainment,” says Martin Hiller, FAME Week Africa Content + Creative Director.
“These industries are unique yet intertwined, so it is important that we provide them with their own voices.”
This year will see the inaugural MIP Africa take place as part of FAME Week Africa. MIP Africa is a B2B market for film, television, and digital content distribution and co-production business in Africa.
FAME Week Africa will continue to highlight the City of Cape Town’s Emerging Artists programme where the region’s under-resourced talented artists showcase their skill and offer artworks for sale.
The rhythm is going to get you…
As Hiller asserts, no show for to the creative industries would be complete without music. “This year will be bringing a sensational music component to the FAME Week Africa experience,” he says. “We’re keeping the content under wraps right now – suffice to say it will rock.”
Highlighting the success of the launch event, Goddard says attendees can expect an event that facilitates growth in their specific sector of the FAME industries. “We heard what our visitors said during the launch and our teams are already preparing to meet and exceed expectations.
“We’ll be bringing you more snippets and secrets from FAME Week Africa 2022 as we head towards August,” she says. “In the meantime, diarise for diversity, delight and doing business across our magnificent continent.”
FAME Week Africa will take place from 24 to 26 August at the Cape Town International Convention Centre.
Nigerian author Chinua Achebe once said, “Until the Lion tells his side of the story, the tale of the hunt will always glorify the Hunter”. For centuries, Africa’s stories have been told largely by those who colonised it — but things are changing.
Be part of that change. Be part of FAME Week Africa.
