Africa is set to host its first-ever Global Creative Summit (GCS) next month in Pretoria, South Africa, a landmark event designed to position the continent at the heart of the global creative economy.
The summit is being held under the theme: “Visa to the World,” to drive Africa's "creative passport to possibility."
Organisers said they intentionally aligned the event with a historic milestone: the 2025 G20 Summit, which will also be hosted in South Africa.
“By aligning with the G20’s rotational movement, GCS positions Africa’s creative economy alongside the world’s leading economic agenda,” the organisers said in a statement.
Several nations including Lesotho, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Seychelles, Réunion Island, and Eswatini have confirmed their participation in the inaugural annual general meeting.
Further confirmations are expected from across the continent, with invitations also extended to G20 nations.
Founder Sinamandla Kwepile framed the summit as a "bold step toward the Africa we want," aligning with the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.
“We are uniting the continent’s creative forces to speak with one powerful voice,” Kwepile said.
- Africa prepares for inaugural Global Creative Summit
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“Our mission is to shape a shared African creative agenda, one that removes barriers, accelerates cross-border collaboration, and ensures our artists and cultural entrepreneurs can move, trade, and create freely.”
The three-day gathering will bring together creative practitioners, dignitaries, and sector representatives to gain insights and promote African unity through the transfer of global strategies.
The event will feature a packed agenda which include an gala dinner headlined by multi-Grammy award-winning producer and UN Goodwill Ambassador, Gordon "Commissioner Gordon" Williams, who will deliver the keynote address.
A day of panel discussions and sector-specific conversations focused on pragmatic themes like the mobility of artists and creatives across the continent will also be held.
The closing ceremony will feature amusical extravaganza hosted by Inside Art Fest 2025, featuring artists like Maglera Doe Boy, Warras, and DJ Switch.
The summit also plans to launch legacy projects to build a "formidable African voice," with collaborations already paving the way for the next summit in 2026, scheduled to be hosted in the United States.
