African economic and creative sector integration

Industry leaders and government officials are advocating for enhanced cross-border partnerships and increased investment to drive economic growth across Africa.

In the creative sector, stakeholders at the Africa Film Forum in Johannesburg emphasized the necessity of building partnerships to share resources and compete globally. Discussions highlighted the need for stronger connections between markets and distribution networks to ensure local content reaches wider audiences. In Nigeria, officials are promoting the Creative Africa Nexus Weekend 2026 to leverage cultural assets like Nollywood and Afrobeats for job creation and economic diversification.

Simultaneously, major business forums in Cape Town and Accra have convened to accelerate intra-African trade. The AETI Business Forum in Cape Town focused on connecting private capital with investment-ready projects in sectors such as mining, energy, infrastructure, and ICT. In Accra, the Africa Business Forum & Awards centered on transitioning from a single African market toward global competitiveness, with participation from the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat to highlight the importance of regional integration.