Africa’s Creative Industries Take Center Stage at Creatives Connect Afrika 2025
The AfCFTA Secretariat, in collaboration with the Government of Ghana, Africa Tourism Partners and the Black Star Experience Secretariat, has officially opened Creatives Connect Afrika 2025 at the La Palm Royal Beach Hotel in Accra The Forum and Festival bring together leaders from across Africa’s creative and cultural industries under the theme “Film, Music and Fashion: Celebrating Africa’s Creative Power.”
The Opening Ceremony featured African artistic performances and formal remarks from government representatives, development institutions and industry leaders. Speakers underscored the significance of Africa’s creative economy as a catalyst for trade, jobs and economic transformation.
H.E. Wamkele Mene, Secretary-General of the AfCFTA Secretariat, delivered the keynote address and reaffirmed the role of the creative sector in advancing Africa’s integration. He stated:
“Film, music and fashion reflect Africa’s imagination, creativity and entrepreneurial energy. These industries are not only expressions of our identity; they are drivers of economic growth, innovation and continental unity. Through the AfCFTA Protocol on Trade in Services, we are creating a single African market where creative service providers can operate seamlessly across borders.”
In his remarks, Mr Kwakye Donkor, CEO of Africa Tourism Partners, highlighted the need to strengthen support systems for creatives, noting:
“The creative industry is the epicentre of tourism. We must be intentional in addressing the challenges creatives face, from financing to intellectual property protection. I encourage participants to connect, collaborate and turn the engagements made here into meaningful opportunities.”
Mr Rex Owusu Marfo, Coordinator of the Black Star Experience Secretariat, called for a coordinated continental framework to unlock the sector’s full potential. He stated:
“We must establish an architectural framework that transforms Africa’s extraordinary talent into sustained economic prosperity. This requires strategic funding, integrated markets, modern distribution systems and policies that enable creatives to operate across a unified continental market.”
Creatives Connect Afrika aims to position Film, Music, Fashion, Tourism and related cultural services as engines of trade, youth employment and diversification. Earlier today, technical masterclasses in Film, Fashion and Music provided guidance on value chain development, digital distribution and cross-border collaboration.
The programme includes policy dialogues, fashion showcases, film screenings and B2B engagement sessions to strengthen partnerships and unlock new opportunities across Africa’s single market for services. The event concludes on Wednesday, 26 November 2025.
Creatives Connect Afrika 2025 marks a key step in advancing implementation of the AfCFTA. Protocol on Trade in Services and building a more integrated, competitive creative economy for the continent.
About the AfCFTA
The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is one of the flagship projects of Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want and entered into force on 30 May 2019, with trading under the Agreement commencing on 1 January 2021. It is a high-ambition trade agreement aimed at bringing together all 55 African Union (AU) Member States, covering a market of more than 1.3 billion people. With a comprehensive scope, the AfCFTA addresses key areas of Africa’s economy, including trade in goods and services, digital trade, investment protection, intellectual property rights, and competition policy among other areas. By eliminating barriers to trade within the continent, the AfCFTA seeks to significantly boost intra-African trade, particularly in value-added production and services sectors. According to estimates, the Agreement has the potential to increase intra-African trade by 52.3% through tariff liberalization and trade facilitation measures.
