Celebrating being African

W Eare within one of the biggest weekends of the country’s tourism, arts and business sectors as we welcome the world to the MTN Bushfire Festival. The spin-offs to all other sectors just from this one event are excitingly massive and a time for us to again honour and recognise the power and importance of the creative economy. The eased COVID-19 restrictions have all-around brought life back to our creative economy. The entertainment industry, which is critical to our daily lives and wellness, is back on track. With it is a jab in the arm for the tourism sector. With the sun out, for now, we need to make hay while it shines.

Why should the creative industry be a topic on a news feature page? It is because the creative industry is the genesis of all other sectors. The foundation of all. The nexus and epicentre of all other sectors. There is no writing, and there is no marketing, there is no other business if the creative spirits of any nation are not nurtured. A society with a dead creative industry is bland.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

According to UNESCO, the cultural and creative sectors account for 3.1 per cent of the world’s gross domestic product (GDP) and 6.2 per cent of all employment, making them a ‘strategic investment for economic development’.

According to CBNet’s feature, ‘Why Creative Industries Matter’, the creative industries contribute to society in basically two categories: They create market value (jobs, growth and exports) and non-market values, such as contributing to the identity of a society. “The potential

Iam a proud African, and yes, everywhere I go there is one thing I hold pride in my African being!

It isn’t just about the beautiful natural looks I hold, nor is it about the great crafted body envied and tried by others. Well, it is also not about the wonderful accent I have, and every time I speak in this amazing language, you need not to ask where I am from. They have tried imitating it, but it is always difficult and they always fail no matter how hard they try.

NATURE

Being African is being the central definition of nature. I embrace it because more than anything, I was made to hold the perfect definition of natural perfection. When I walk, it is as though the trees and the birds are saluting my steps and for growth in the cultural and creative industries is vast — if we can unleash the potential,” it reads. In Eswatini, we are blessed with loads of talented people. Switch on One Gospel channel, and you will find some of our gifted artists there, like the multi-award-winning Linda Dlamini, with slots of their songs showing that the locally produced assets are good enough for export. The likes of Shongwe and Khuphuka have also once featured on CNN.

DEDICATION

Today ask a group of young children what they want to be when they grow up, and out of 20, about 80 per cent will say they would like to be in the arts industry. It is a glossy and exciting job. Some parents think this is because these young people do not want to apply for conventional jobs that require a lot of effort and dedication, but that is not the case. The arts require almost double, if not triple, the action of conventional jobs.

During one event, while seated next to a teenager, I asked, what do you want to be when you grow up, the teen said, “I want to study theatre.” I said wow, so your parents have spent 12 years on your welcoming my great presence. It feels like the breeze was waiting to embrace an African queen who owns the original crafts better. Anywhere else in the world, they don’t just celebrate their being, but we Africans appreciate who we are. We are unique in every way, we are distinct from the rest, I mean they do not question who we are, and they just realise us even from a whole majority. We do not need to define ourselves, we never have the need to tell if we are African or not, it’s in our eyes, our smiles and our laughter.

Now one thing about our skin, I do not want to say silk because it shies away from the boldness of Africans. It is delicate and the most beautiful I could ever see.

PRIDE

It is firm, so strong that it withstands all conditions; harsh and smooth. We just are capable of standing in all times. Our skin is literally the greatest pride we own. Look at how our hair is so strong, unique, and natural. How many in the world try to go for that look …but no matter schooling and all you want to do is, be an actor, not a doctor, lecturer or engineer? Then I humbled myself and asked, why is it that most young people want a space in the arts? ‘We are in a generation where we are encouraged to explore our creative sides, to go into professions where we can fully express ourselves.

GENERATION

‘Being an accountant will not make me express myself fully. Also, what you need to know is that the generations have evolved. Your generation was infatuated with desk jobs. Ours is in love with being able to make a living with what gives us joy, and the arts bring happiness to us young people, and it pays simultaneously.’

It was a sobering lecture.

But the creative industries are also good for the economy overall. Studies show that companies in cultural and creative industries are far more global than other industries. These companies have the same motivation for commercial success as other sectors and need specialised business development services to accelerate their growth.

In November 2019, The World how much they try, they almost get it right, but not right.

Respect …the first biggest lesson we learn. Our leaders, the elders, remind us everyday how much it goes a long way.

ACHIEVING

They teach us of how it opens doors for us, that more than giving, more than anything else, respect is the only one biggest factor to achieving goals.

Our mothers teach us how a respectful woman is like, not because they are making us stereotyped or anything. But it is a way of making us appreciate and embrace the African nature

Health Organisation (WHO) published the report ‘What is the evidence on the role of the arts in improving health and well-being?’ which is another example of how the creative and cultural industries (CCIs) contribute to solutions outside their field.

Last Thursday, I was invited to speak to a group of start-up businesses on personal branding.

One of the guys there spoke about being in entertainment. I quickly corrected him that he is actually in the creative economy industry. He is not just an entertainer but a significant contributor to the country’s GDP. I went on to unpack the sector’s benefits in society, including its role in the well-being of others. That music is healing and rejuvenating. Have you ever seen emaSwati as happy as they have been in the past few months and attended various events since the restrictions have been eased? No. but the good thing is that with the happiness, an enormous value chain has benefited, this includes though, in transport, venues, accommodation, food and beverages, equipment hire, graphic designers, tailors for outfits, and the list is longer than of our being within us. Yes I am African woman, so proud of being this amazing soul living in Africa …what an amazing joy it brings.

I know that the month is almost over, but, being African does not end, it is in us, within us. It will forever be a part of us. The end of May does not mean we should stop celebrating our Africanicity. We must teach ourselves to appreciate being African every day, because there is nothing better than being African.

So now,

REJUVENATING CELEBRATING

look at you

African my walk to the nearest shop here in Sidvwashini. The feature on why creative industries matter concludes that by strengthening them, societies and cultures can achieve several benefits related to the creatives themselves and a more innovative and dynamic economy in general. “This factor leads to increased well-being, a sense of community, and a deeper sense of purpose among citizens. The right political strategy to strengthen the creative and cultural industries can do a lot to create a useful framework and unlock the full potential,” it states. The experts also encourage the educational system to embrace new ways of learning and thinking. It calls on other economic sectors to realise that working with creative industries will lead to more significant innovation and disruption.

As Eswatini hosts the world at the MTN Bushfire festival, so too does the economy also come to life. This festival is a signature festival that had not been able to be fully hosted during COVID-19. We trust that as it returns, many people will come out in numbers to support it as the support also goes to numerous other industries.

MONEY

The same goes for other events and concerts while the restrictions are eased for the rest of the year. For the past two years, this industry has failed to make much money and has been the hardest hit by the limits as it relies on gatherings.

COVID-19 hit the cultural and creative industries particularly hard, with a total of 10 million jobs lost in these sectors worldwide in 2020, according to a report from UNESCO.

This pandemic impacted individuals and the broader economy, wiping US$750 billion off the value of the global cultural and creative industries, the Reshaping Policies for Creativity report notes.

Now it is time for this industry to make hay while the sun shines and time for us to support their livelihoods. By supporting them, we are also supporting the socioeconomical growth of the country.

brother and sister, embrace them, and appreciate them. It is time we ended the violence among each other and it is time we fought the discrimination as well. Nobody else but us can love and appreciate us; we are all we have and all we need to b strong. No one could be strong for us before except us, so even now, we are to be strong for ourselves. Holding onto the love we were taught to share.

It is about time we bring back that peace that exists within us, the very peace we are known to hold, because again, no one can bring it apart from us. Let us own the African being we hold within ourselves, let us rise and be A- FRI -CAN.

ROYALTY

Celebrate being African, they look at us and wish to be who we are, but we have it anyway and they cannot. So appreciate being who we are, nobody can love us better than us. Being African is being the who of the royalty of nature.

I am African, I hold pride in my African culture, I hold great pride in my language, and the beauty of my world gives me a definition of belonging!

#theafricanisminme!