Africa’s Creative Economy Takes Centre Stage at the timbuktoo Creatives Hub Showcase

From film to fashion, music to digital design, the Hub highlights Africa’s creative economy as a driver of jobs, innovation, and global competitiveness.

September 4, 2025

The inauguration of the timbuktoo Africa Showcase at the Homecoming Centre, Cape Town — where Africa’s creative innovators took centre stage.

UNDP

Cape Town, South Africa – 04 September 2025

This week, Cape Town’s historic Homecoming Centre in District Six came alive with the sounds, colours, and energy of Africa’s creative future. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in South Africa, in partnership with the Western Cape Government, the City of Atlanta, and other collaborators, hosted the timbuktoo Creatives Hub Showcase—an evening that placed Africa’s creative economy firmly in the global spotlight.

Creativity as a Force for Development

The creative economy is more than art, music, or design—it is a driver of jobs, innovation, and economic growth. Across Africa, the sector contributes over $4.2 billion to GDP annually, yet receives less than one per cent of global creative economy investment.

UNDP’s timbuktoo initiative is changing that. With an ambition to mobilise US$1 billion in catalytic and commercial capital over the next decade, timbuktoo aims to empower

10,000 youth-led startups, scale 1,000 high-impact enterprises, and impact 100 million livelihoods across fintech, healthtech, climate tech—and now, the creative economy.

“Africa’s creative economy is more than cultural expression – it is a serious driver of jobs, exports, and economic growth,” said Gloria Kiondo, Deputy Resident Representative of UNDP South Africa. “Through the timbuktoo Creatives Hub, we are showing that Africa’s talent is not only ready, but also globally competitive.”

A Showcase of Talent and Possibility

The showcase featured vibrant exhibitions, live performances, and presentations from creative entrepreneurs spanning design, music, multimedia, cultural heritage, and digital innovation. Within only eight months of operations, the Hub has supported two cohorts:

First cohort: 16 growth-stage enterprises (10 women-led, 11 youth-led) chosen from over 280 applications across Africa.
Second cohort: 30 early-stage creatives from 9 countries, 63% women, fostering cross-border collaboration.

The Hub offers more than workspace. It connects young innovators to mentorship, markets, and investment pathways, positioning African creators to compete globally.

A Transcontinental Partnership

The evening also marked a milestone announcement: Atlanta will become timbuktoo’s first corridor node in the United States. Mayor Andre Dickens emphasised the city’s collaborative spirit:

“Atlanta is a group project… Becoming timbuktoo’s first corridor node in the United States means connecting our world-class music industry with Africa’s emerging music tech startups and all the innovation happening here. This is not competition; this is coopetition.”

The partnership will launch a CreativeTech Fund, mobilising diaspora investment and expanding market access for Africa’s creative industries.

Rooted in Place, Building for the Future

Premier of the Western Cape Alan Winde highlighted the uniqueness of Africa’s creative voice:

“Africa is blessed with some of the most amazing places in the world. But the real magic is layered on top: the people, the sounds, the flavours, the culture. That is our story… This launchpad for modern businesses into the experiential economy is so important.”

Through collaborations with UVU Africa, the Craft and Design Institute, Snake Nation, and the Western Cape Department of Economic Development and Tourism, the Hub is bridging traditional and non-traditional actors—from venture capital firms to creative collectives—to build a commercially viable ecosystem.

A Movement for Africa

The timbuktoo Creatives Hub is part of a bold vision: to catalyse Africa’s largest innovation and entrepreneurship movement. By tackling barriers such as limited access to finance, fragmented ecosystems, and the digital divide, timbuktoo is advancing youth employment, women’s empowerment, and Africa’s participation in the global creative economy—directly contributing to the Sustainable Development Goals.

As the music and art faded into the night in District Six, one message was clear: when creativity is given the right infrastructure, networks, and capital, it is more than expression—it is the future of Africa’s development.