Zimbabwe creative sector needs stronger IP laws and investment

Stakeholders are calling for enhanced support and stronger legal frameworks to bolster Zimbabwe’s growing creative sector. Musician and talent judge Mzoe 7 emphasized the need for increased collaboration between the government, private corporations, and industry professionals to transform local talent into sustainable, exportable careers.

Complementing this call for structural support, Katherine Hiner, the US Intellectual Property Attaché for Sub-Saharan Africa, highlighted the urgent need for improved intellectual property laws and enforcement. During a US Department of State briefing, Hiner noted that while the African music market has seen double-digit growth for five consecutive years, significant revenue is lost due to weak copyright collection and piracy.

Hiner identified three key priorities for African nations to capture the value of their expanding digital creative economies: improving transparency in revenue collection, increasing public and artist education regarding intellectual property rights, and strengthening agencies tasked with combating piracy.