Press release | Culture | 24. May 2022
Music In Africa Foundation: Comprehensive report published on revenue streams of music creators in South Africa
As the first report of its kind, ‘Revenue Streams for Music Creators in South Africa 2022’ provides detailed insights into the sources of income of South African musicians. Around 3,000 musicians from various genres took part in the nationwide study conducted by the Music in Africa Foundation.
The study aims to provide musicians with information that will enable them to make well-founded career decisions and improve their income. With this in mind, one of the main focuses is the informal music industry in South Africa, for which only limited representative figures existed to date. The study looks at income trends both before and after the coronavirus pandemic, potential sources of income, and areas in which musicians require support.
“African music creators are in dire need of solutions and reliable information about how their industry functions and the opportunities they can tap into. Now that the COVID-19 crisis is beginning to simmer down, this report could ignite a new way of thinking about what works and what needs work in the industry,” said Eddie Hatitye, Director of the Music In Africa Foundation.
“Representative data gives musicians the guidance they need to continue developing successfully and achieve their full potential,” explained Dr. Nina Smidt, Managing Director and Spokesperson of the Board of Directors at Siemens Stiftung. “In many countries, however, this information is lacking. Our partner organization, the Music In Africa Foundation, has provided vital momentum with this report – for the South African music industry and beyond.”
The study is part of the Revenue Streams for African Musicians project, which offers relevant information as well as development opportunities for African musicians. The project is supported by UNESCO’s International Fund for Cultural Diversity (IFCD) as part of the Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, which was adopted in 2005. Other supporters include the Siemens Cents4Sense initiative, Siemens Stiftung, the Goethe-Institut, the National Arts Council of South Africa and Kaya FM.
About the Music In Africa Foundation
The Music In Africa Foundation uses a multifaceted range of methods and initiatives to promote knowledge exchange, networking and capacity growth in the African music sector. The ‘Music In Africa’ online platform is the centerpiece of its activities, featuring online profiles for over 38,000 creative artists, details of upcoming cultural events, and extensive articles written by African authors about the continent’s music scene.
Siemens Stiftung teamed up with the Goethe-Institut as the driving force behind the project to set up the Music In Africa Foundation as a sponsor organization and has rendered support in financial, strategic and organizational terms since 2011.