Tag Archives: global markets

AMA, Business

Africa and UK Fashion Designers Unite to Form a Sustainable Creative Skills Exchange Opportunity

MaraviPost

A new peer-to-peer programme pairs emerging designers from the UK and Sub-Saharan Africa for a landmark creative opportunity offering studio space, mentorship, and direct access to buyers, press, and industry leaders

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, 18 March 2026 -/African Media Agency(AMA)/- The British Council together with Paul Smith’s Foundation and Projekt today announced the launch of the Creative DNA x Studio Smithfield a new international exchange programme bringing together a total of six fashion designers from the UK and Sub-Saharan Africa. The programme kicked off effective from 16 to 23 March 2026 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia with the aim to collaborate, share expertise, and forge sustainable creative and professional relationships. The programme marks a significant step in positioning London as a genuinely global fashion hub, built on equal partnership rather than one-way knowledge skills transfer.

Farai Ncube, Regional Arts Director, British Council said: ‘This initiative reflects the British Council’s commitment to supporting the creative economy across Africa and the UK by placing creative professionals and their potential at the centre of sustainable growth. Through authentic collaboration, skills exchange, and mutual respect across cultures, we support designers and creative practitioners in building sustainable enterprises and accessing global markets. This cross-continental residency exchange in London and Ethiopia, with an emphasis on craftsmanship and sustainability, will help foster enduring partnerships, facilitate knowledge sharing, and unlock new opportunities for creative talent to thrive and collaborate across borders.’

The six participating designers namely: Solome Asfaw (Ethiopia), Reneta Brehna (UK), Chido Kaseke (Zimbabwe), Bettydora Odhiambo (Kenya), Karoline Vitto (UK), and YAKU (UK) were selected from a closed call application by a jury including representatives from The British Council, Projekt and Paul Smith’s Foundation will receive direct access to industry leaders, buyers, and press through studio tours, professional networking and personal introductions; structured mentorship from Paul Smith’s Foundation’s extensive professional network; production support and facilities access throughout collection development; showcasing opportunities and sustained commercial guidance extending six months post-programme.

‘I was so impressed by the talent of these designers. This kind of residency nurtures the future shapers of the fashion industry, particularly through its invaluable cultural exchange. It reminds us of the importance of learning from voices around the world, and being inspired by our peers,’ said IB Kamara, Creative Director of Off-White.

International designers will be hosted within the Fashion Residency at Studio Smithfield a flagship business development programme for early-career fashion designers created by the Mayor of London, Projekt and Paul Smith’s Foundation, with support from British GQ and the City of London Corporation. The Residency offers free studio space for 18 months and more than 80 hours of business training delivered by industry experts.

‘We’re very excited to be working with the British Council and Paul Smith’s Foundation on this new, innovative programme. Providing subsidised and funded spaces and opportunities for collaboration is a key part of Projekts’ ethos, and we’re proud that this programme reflects our commitment to offering space and infrastructure that enables designers to develop and grow their businesses,’ Nick Hartwright, CEO of Projekt.

Rather than a traditional mentorship model, the programme is designed so that UK and African designers learn from each other sharing perspectives on sustainability, traditional craftsmanship, digital innovation, and the distinct challenges and opportunities of their respective markets. Practical studio sessions are woven together with cultural immersion and reflective learning, creating an experience that deepens each designer’s creative identity and sharpens their commercial edge.

‘We are delighted to be co-creating this new opportunity for international creative exchange. At Paul Smith’s Foundation we champion the enduring value of peer-to-peer support, and are excited to see how these brilliant brands develop their vision through the sharing of knowledge, skills and experiences,’ added Martha Mosse, Director of Paul Smith’s Foundation.

At the heart of Creative DNA x Studio Smithfield is a commitment to genuine creative equality. Rather than traditional mentorship models, the programme aims to strengthen participants’ understanding of sustainability, traditional craftsmanship, and digital innovation while expanding their entrepreneurial and creative skill sets. By blending practical, hands-on sessions with reflective learning and cultural immersion, the programme intends to create a holistic experience that enhances each designer’s creative identity and professional potential.

Distributed by African Media Agency (AMA) on behalf of ENAMEN Consulting

About The British Council Creative DNA
The British Council is the UK’s international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities. We support peace and prosperity by building connections, understanding and trust between people in the UK and countries worldwide. We do this through our work in arts and culture, education and the English language. We work with people in over 200 countries and territories and are on the ground in more than 100 countries. In 2024–25 we reached 599 million people. Creative DNA is a flagship programme of the British Council’s creative economy portfolio in Sub-Saharan Africa. Since 2020, it has supported over 200 fashion entrepreneurs across Kenya, Uganda, Senegal, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, Nigeria and Malawi through mentorship, business development, and showcasing opportunities. The programme is designed to strengthen creative enterprises, foster inclusion, and build international connections between Africa and the UK. www.britishcouncil.org

About Projekt
Projekt was founded by Nicholas Hartwright as a social enterprise in 2012 in response to the lack of affordable creative workspaces in London. Since then, Projekt has opened an arts hotel, multiple creative large-scale music venues and hosts a wide range of events of organisations across its London sites, spanning over a million square feet and directly supporting hundreds of creative business tenants and organisations. Through Projekt’s work with the Mayor of London, the Greater London Authority, the Corporation of London and the British Council, the team at Projekt have come to understand that it’s about providing spaces and building networks, fostering community and shaping culture. This approach to large-scale community building is reflected in Projekt’s ability to collaborate with clients from the ground up and runs through the heart of Projekt’s development and repurposing of every site whether a smaller individual building or a large-scale development project. www.thisisprojekt.com

About Paul Smith’s Foundation
Paul Smith’s Foundation supports early career creative people working in fashion, visual arts, and design. Through in depth and bespoke business mentoring, the Foundation equips creatives with the insight, tools, and network they need to establish and sustain a healthy business for the long term. Through partnerships, we create paid opportunities to freely make, encouraging curiosity and experimentation without financial burden, whilst nurturing potential to help shape a dynamic and enterprising creative sector. https://www.paulsmithsfoundation.org/

The post Africa and UK Fashion Designers Unite to Form a Sustainable Creative Skills Exchange Opportunity appeared first on African Media Agency.

AMA, Business

Investing in Africa’s Creative Potential for Sustainable Growth Takes Center Stage at Africa Creative Economy Lens 2025 in Kigali

MaraviPost

KIGALI, Rwanda, 2nd September 2025 -/African Media Agency(AMA)/- The Africa Creative Economy Lens (ACEL) 2025 concluded in Kigali after two transformative days, amplifying the message that Africa’s cultural and creative industries (CCIs) are not only a source of identity but a powerful engine for sustainable growth.

Co-hosted by the Africa Creatives Alliance (ACA) and Africa in Colors (AIC), the convening brought together more than 200 participants from across the continent, including policymakers, investors, DFIs, creatives, and development partners. Under the theme “Investing in Africa’s Creative Potential for Sustainable Growth,” ACEL 2025 demonstrated how creativity when matched with the right systems, financing, and policies can become a cornerstone of Africa’s economic future.

H.E. Maj. Gen. (Rtd) Robert Rusoke, Uganda’s High Commissioner, emphasized that Africa’s creative economy is not merely about entertainment but about identity, innovation, commerce, and socio-economic transformation. He noted that by 2030, Africa could command up to 10% of global creative exports, worth over $200 billion “not a distant dream, but a realistic trajectory if we invest strategically today.”

The stakes are clear: by 2050, one in four people will be African, while Sub-Saharan Africa will need 72.6 million new jobs (ILO). With industries spanning film, music, fashion, gaming, design, and digital media, the creative economy offers one of the most viable and sustainable pathways to meet this demand. Yet barriers such as limited access to finance, weak policy frameworks, and fragmented data systems continue to constrain growth.

ACEL 2025 addressed these challenges head-on through co-creation workshops, fireside discussions, and high-level dialogues. Conversations ranged from the intersection of technology and the arts to financial innovations tailored for creative enterprises. Development banks, venture funds, and corporate investors presented financing models and case studies, while policymakers, experts and creatives co-designed solutions around governance, copyright delivery frameworks, and Pan-African Trade and CCIs, focusing on the integration of CCIs into the AfCFTA.

Rita Ngenzi, Founding and Managing Director of ACA, stressed that the creative economy must move from the margins to the center of Africa’s development agenda:

“The Africa Creative Economy Lens has shown us that investing in creativity is not a luxury it is a necessity for Africa’s sustainable growth, employment, and resilience. Every job created in film, fashion, music, art, gaming, or design sparks a ripple effect across industries, communities, and borders. The task now is to translate this vision into tangible pathways that unlock opportunities at scale.”

She added: “Last year in Addis Ababa, we declared that Africa’s creative future would not be written for us, but by us. Here in Kigali, that vision is moving from declaration to action Creativity alone cannot scale without infrastructure, capacity, and investment. The outcomes of the gathering have shown us what becomes possible when creativity is connected to the systems that sustain it: it transforms into industries, jobs, and inclusive growth.”

Delivering remarks on behalf of Rwanda’s Minister of Youth and Arts, Olivier Ngabo, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, reaffirmed Africa’s ownership of its creative future:

“Rwanda is committed to becoming a place where ideas, talent, and innovation converge to create opportunities beyond our borders. This ambition is anchored in our National Strategy for Transformation (NST2), which identifies the creative industries as key drivers of growth, innovation, and youth employment. By prioritizing creativity at the national level, we are signaling to investors, entrepreneurs, and artists alike that Rwanda is a place to do more and to do better.”

He emphasized that progress must be collective and intentional:

“No government, private sector, or creative can succeed in isolation. Together, we must create dignified jobs for Africa’s youth, expand trade, and open global stages for our designers, filmmakers, musicians, and innovators. If we get this right, the creative industries will not only transform our economies but also strengthen Africa’s cultural influence and shape how the world sees us.”

Raoul Rugamba, Founder of Africa in Colors, echoed this call:

“Africa’s creative potential represents a trillion-dollar opportunity. Kigali proved that when artists, investors, hubs, and policymakers come together, creativity moves from untapped potential to a bankable driver of prosperity.”

Adding an ecosystem perspective, Japheth Kawanguzi, ACA Board Member and Founder of MoTIV, noted:

“Africa’s creative economy will not grow by chance, but through intentional ecosystem design. Just as industrial parks anchor manufacturing, innovation districts must anchor Africa’s creative and digital industries. That is why we formed the Africa Creatives Alliance—to connect ecosystems across borders, align with continental policy, and create the scale Africa needs. A single district can transform a city, but only an alliance of ecosystems can transform a continent.”

Panels explored investment unlocking strategies, alternative financing for SMEs, and innovative debt solutions, with insights from the African Development Bank, IFC, Afreximbank, Heva Fund, and others. Fireside chats showcased creative entrepreneurs and enablers that have scaled successfully with the right financing and ecosystem support.

As the world looks to Africa as the next global growth frontier, Kigali affirmed a powerful truth: sustainable development will be defined by industries that harness imagination, innovation, and identity. By investing in Africa’s creative potential, the continent is not only shaping its future—it is redefining its place in the global economy.

Distributed by African Media Agency (AMA) on behalf of Africa Creatives Alliance.

Editor Notes 

About Africa Creatives Alliance 

The Africa Creatives Alliance (ACA) envisions strengthening Africa’s role as a global contributor to the creative economy by building a vibrant, inclusive, and sustainable ecosystem that empowers creatives, drives innovation, and fosters cultural and economic growth across the continent. Our mission is to unite and fortify Africa’s creative economy through strategic partnerships, advocacy, and capacity building, creating a dynamic network of hubs, incubators, and stakeholders that supports sustainable growth, enhances market access, and highlights the cultural and economic value of creativity.

ACA’s approach is grounded in five key pillars: Ecosystem Convening, which brings together creative hubs, incubators, accelerators, and makerspaces, along with government, NGOs, academia, and private sector players, to foster collaboration and drive system-level change; Policy & Advocacy, focused on creating an enabling environment through research-driven policy recommendations that promote intellectual property protections, inclusivity, and equitable access to resources; Education and Capacity Building, leading comprehensive training programs to equip hubs, incubators, accelerators, and makerspaces with the skills and innovative business models needed to support creatives and prepare them for success in global markets; Infrastructure and Enterprise Strengthening, prioritizing investments in physical infrastructure, reducing production costs, and improving market access to enhance productivity across value chains; and Investment, focused on mobilizing capital through tailored investment vehicles, including grants, equity, and impact investment funds, to meet the lifecycle needs of creative enterprises, foster growth, and drive sustainable economic impact. 

For media inquiries

Rita Ngenzi – Founding Director, Africa Creatives Alliance

rngenzi@aca.africa | +256 772 912799

Amanda Gowa – Chief of Staff, Africa Creatives Alliance

agowa@aca.africa I +256 701 050 600

The post Investing in Africa’s Creative Potential for Sustainable Growth Takes Center Stage at Africa Creative Economy Lens 2025 in Kigali appeared first on African Media Agency.

Lifestyle

Global Markets Plummet, Wrongful Deportation Deadline, Second Measles Death

Maravi Post Reporter

President Trump’s trade war has prompted further market declines. The Trump administration has a midnight deadline to return a man deported to El Salvador in what a federal judge has called a “grievous error”. And, a second child in Texas has died of measles according to state health officials.

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Opinion, Sponsored

How the Latest Trump Scandals Have Affected the Global Currency Markets

Maravi Post correspondent

Donald Trump
US President Donald Trump

To say that President Trump has had a rocky start in office would be a bit of an understatement. Many of his campaign promises have come under scrutiny while others have failed to materialise altogether. Such political infighting has been exacerbated due to the fact that claims of Russian electoral influences seem more founded than in the past.

Thus, the global markets have been exhibiting a good deal of volatility in recent weeks. Why is this the case, what are investors worried about and what can we reasonably expect in the near future?

 

The Basic Issue of Confidence

 

We are all aware that the markets are built upon two emotions: greed and fear. While investors such as Warren Buffet often capitalise upon fear, he represents a small portion of the trading community as a whole. Many global markets have been on a slippery slope simply due to the fact that no one is entirely sure what to expect out of the Trump administration next.

With each scandal (or perceived scandal), investors are taking a watch-and-wait approach as opposed to adopting a bullish stance. Although Trump is currently on an international tour, many expect this negative mood to emerge when he returns to the Oval Office.

 

Is the Pro-Business Agenda at Risk?

 

In the past, Trump promised to reform the entire domestic business structure of the United States in favour of corporate-level entities. Recent events have called this intention into question. Indeed, many markets experienced their worst falls since the election due to the fact that this mechanism is now in doubt. The S&P 500 dropped 1.5 per cent while the FTSE shaved off one per cent of its value; breaking no less than 109 trading days of gains.

The main reason behind these movements is centred around the fact that opposition towards his budget plans is growing while a failure to follow through on such a major promise will cast doubt upon other major campaign promises.

 

The Tax Reform Issue

 

Another major scandal revolves around the tax reform stance that the Trump cadre has taken since campaigning. As if we are listening to a broken record, these very same intentions are now appearing to be less likely than in the past. Initial projections assumed that the package would be put into place sometime during 2017. This prediction is now pushed back to at least 2018 while some critics are stating that it may not come into effect at all.

Such sweeping reforms would have benefited businesses while placing more liquidity back into the pockets of the average consumer. Once again, global markets have reacted negatively and we do not expect any type of reversal unless the Trump administration outlines their plans in more detail. As transparency has not been one of his stronger suits, this is not likely to take place.

 

Rough Waters

 

What is perhaps the most ironic observation is that domestic politics and scandals have remained at a low point simply because Trump is currently travelling abroad. Margaret Yang at CMC Markets says that focus has now slightly shifted towards the multi-billion dollar deals ratified within the defence sector. While this has caused some markets to rebound slightly, the truth of the matter is that we are not out of the woods yet.

 

Domestic and global markets are looking for a modicum of transparency and security from what could otherwise be called an entirely muddled campaign. When Trump returns to the United States, focus will once again centre around political infighting and the ongoing scandals. So, we should continue to see this very same level of volatility. Investors must modify their strategies accordingly.

 
 
Stuart Edwards is a Contributor and works for Ideas Made