In a country like South Africa where there are limited creative industry resources and where the creative industry is still in an early growth phase, it has become critical to equip different creative entrepreneurs with much needed tools to develop and sustain their industries, as well as their entrepreneurial ventures.

The SA Creative Industries Incubator in collaboration with Enterprises University of Pretoria (Enterprises UP) and the Department of Small Business Development, recently presented their first Entrepreneurship Development Programme tailored to the creative industries sector. The comprehensive programme, based on international benchmarking standards, was presented to over 80 creative industry entrepreneurs from across Gauteng over two intakes in 2017.

“This programme was designed to be both engaging and challenging, introducing the participating delegates to the South African entrepreneurship landscape which they will face on a day-to-day basis,” states Beth Arendse, CEO of the SA Creative Industries Incubator. The incubator – situated in Eersterust, east of Pretoria – was established in 2017 and is set on giving back to the community, strengthening networks and providing a platform for creative industry entrepreneurs to showcase their talents and skills.

“The creative industries are a significant contributor to our economy providing services across market sectors and more must be done to bring markets to the townships,” explains Arendse. “Our partnership with the Department of Small Business Development is enabling significant investment in a township-based facility to do just that.”

The programme was facilitated by Dr Dawie Bornman, a senior lecturer from the Department of Business Management at the University of Pretoria who has more than 12 years’ experience in the local and international creative sector. The aim of the course was on how to empower, develop and build a framework for these artrepreneurs (artists who are entrepreneurs),” Dr Bornman explains.

This market-aligned content framework was designed to be inclusive of all the different topics and skills that are seen as critical to establish, manage and grow a small business successfully in the creative sector. In addition to the traditional training methods employed by Enterprises UP, the SA Creative Industries Incubator introduced unique creative methods for learning and content delivery which included music, visual arts and movement-based techniques for learning integration.

“The programme’s conceptualised framework blends different perspectives from the different creative delegates who participated in the course through experience, research, conversations, interaction and integration. This then serves as the first step towards developing each delegate’s creative idea into a viable entrepreneurial opportunity and to assist them to foster new co-creation partnerships with other artrepreneurs in other creative sectors,” explains Dr Bornman.

The delegates used their creative talents to submit their business plans in unconventional ways such as presenting at painting or composing a song. The programme also stimulated the local economy as community members were contracted in for catering and accommodation for the duration of the programme.

Due to the programme’s popularity and successful first intakes, this entrepreneurial development programme will continue in 2018 and a follow-up programme is being designed for advanced entrepreneurs in the creative sector.

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