Urcing funders

als understood the need to be business savvy and her organisation was involved in skills development in the arts sector. “Some creatives are already extremely entrepreneurial, and Business and Arts South Africa also runs education programmes, upskilling, developing access and agency for the arts sector, nationwide and across borders.”

I encouraged the creative sector to link with symbiotic industries such as tourism. Global tourism is expected to grow 3.3% annually from 2010 to 2030. Africa has a 5% share in worldwide arrivals and a 3% share in tourism receipts. South Africa is well positioned to grow this share.

To unlock government funding, enterprises need to locate themselves where the government is prioritising and it has budgeted R494-million for tourism promotion.

But R30-billion is going into agriculture and rural development and there is a R3.9-billion budget for small business development, as well as an average of R10.5-billion budgeted annually for arts, sports, recreation and culture.

I suggested that creative industries need to consolidate themselves in the first economy, moving from the underregulated and undertaxed second economy, to unlock markets, to better monetise their skills and to build greater appreciation of cultural and creative goods and services.

It takes a different approach to source funding in the first economy but it offers high dividends. In my view, millennials have a strong social consciousness. Those working in the first economy have access to money. Some may have trust funds, for instance, and they want to do good.

Seeking venture capital in the way the information and communication technology sector has is another path to funding. I believe that this can be done through pitching start-up ideas or building partnerships that are attractive to venture capital or “angel investors”. These could be in the environmental sector, as well as in the tech and digital field.

Given my experience as a South African ambassador, I also encouraged cultural and creative entrepreneurs to approach international missions, because they have a strong cultural focus.

The department of international relations and co-operation and its South African missions want to showcase the country’s talent to the world and to grow markets for our goods and services and the international community is open and curious about South Africa’s cultural output.

Another rich source is multilateral funding from the international community.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation celebrates the world’s cultural heritage. The World Economic Forum has a trade and tourism council that offers synergies with the creative industry, as do the World Bank’s poverty alleviation and skills-development initiatives.

Constant said artists were becoming more financially literate.

“We are definitely seeing a shift from a survivalist to a sustainable approach,” she said. “But it is a long marathon and not a sprint.”