Out Of Africa: Inaugural Global Creative Summit 2025
The inaugural Global Creative Summit (GCS) is set to take place in South Africa this November. Timed to coincide with the upcoming 2025 G20 Summit, which will be hosted on African soil for the first time, the GCS aims to align Africa’s creative industries with global economic priorities. Serving as Africa’s continental gateway to global […]
Black News 
The inaugural Global Creative Summit (GCS) is set to take place in South Africa this November.
Timed to coincide with the upcoming 2025 G20 Summit, which will be hosted on African soil for the first time, the GCS aims to align Africa’s creative industries with global economic priorities.
Serving as Africa’s continental gateway to global creative and cultural exchange, the Summit will bring together visionary leaders, creators, innovators, policymakers, investors, and cultural institutions from across the world.
The theme, “Visa to the World“, captures the spirit of cultural mobility, borderless opportunity, and the continent’s rightful place in shaping global narratives. It also reflects an urgent mission: to break down barriers that limit African creative participation on the world stage, and to build strong international networks that position cultural and creative industries (CCIs) as engines of innovation, diplomacy, and sustainable growth.
Globally, CCIs contribute an estimated 3% to GDP and employ over 30 million people, yet Africa’s immense potential remains underrepresented. The GCS is designed to change this by delivering tangible outcomes in:
• Market access and trade facilitation
• Intellectual property protection
• Policy alignment and visa mobility for creatives
• Digital transformation and skills development
• International investment into African creative sectors
Expected to attract over 1,000 international delegates from more than 25 countries, the GCS will focus on five high-growth sectors across Africa and G20 countries:
- Music – Leveraging Africa’s influence in genres like Amapiano, Afrobeats, and Gqom to explore international collaborations, streaming economy models, and heritage preservation.
- Film & Television – Strengthening African storytelling through cross-border co-productions, infrastructure investment, and global distribution partnerships.
- Fashion & Design – Showcasing African innovation and sustainability while advancing youth entrepreneurship and circular economy practices.
- Gaming & Digital Arts – Harnessing Africa’s youthful, tech-savvy population to drive innovation in gaming, animation, VR/AR, and educational technologies.
- Publishing & Literature – Supporting indigenous languages, freedom of expression, and new publishing models in the digital age.
The Global Creative Summit will be hosted in Rosebank, Johannesburg from 13th to 15th November.
