17 SECTOR CLUSTERS - CCIFSA SIMILARITIES

Sector Clusters Must Not Repeat the Mistakes of the Past

By Thami akaMbongo Manzana 

The recent announcement by Gayton McKenzie and the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture (DSAC) regarding the launch of 17 Cultural and Creative Industries sector clusters at the end of the financial year has raised more questions than answers within the cultural sector.

While the intention to reorganise and strengthen representation in the Cultural and Creative Industries (CCI) may appear progressive, the lack of clarity around the process is beginning to generate concern among practitioners across the country.

At present, several fundamental issues remain unanswered. It is unclear when the terms of the current sector councils are coming to an end, and there has been no clear communication about how the proposed Provincial Interim Structures will function or what mandate they will carry once these sector clusters are launched. Without transparency on these critical aspects, the process risks appearing rushed and poorly coordinated.

Lessons from the CCIFSA Process

The sector should not forget that South Africa has gone through a similar process before with the Cultural and Creative Industries Federation of South Africa. During that period, widespread dissatisfaction emerged due to insufficient consultation and weak representation of practitioners across districts and provinces.

In response to the outcry from the sector, DSAC itself intervened and supported a national consultation process across districts, aimed at rebuilding legitimacy and ensuring broader participation. At that time, government even allocated substantial resources to facilitate these consultations.

According to a parliamentary reply tabled in the National Assembly, the department allocated R5 million for 54 district consultations and R8.65 million for nine provincial summits and a national conference to rebuild the CCIFSA leadership structure.

These consultations ultimately culminated in a national conference where new leadership structures were endorsed.

That historical context raises an important question today: Are we repeating the same process without learning from its challenges?

Where Is the Consultation Plan?

The central concern now is how the current sector cluster process is being conducted.

If the aim is to establish legitimate national structures for the CCI sector, then consultation cannot be limited to a few meetings or sector council engagements. South Africa’s creative economy stretches across townships, rural communities, independent practitioners, informal creative networks, and emerging cultural entrepreneurs.

This raises several unanswered questions:

• How were the consultations conducted by the current sector councils?

• Who participated in these consultations and how were they selected?

• Were rural and township practitioners meaningfully included?

• Will there be provincial conferences that culminate into a national conference?

Without a clear framework for consultation, the credibility of the entire sector cluster initiative could be undermined before it even begins.

Timing Raises Concerns

Another issue that cannot be ignored is timing. The announcement of these sector clusters comes just as the financial year is coming to an end.

Launching new national structures at the end of a financial cycle raises practical questions:

• Who will fund the operational work of these clusters?

• Which entity will administer the transition from current councils to new structures?

• What institutional support will exist for these clusters after launch?

Without a defined roadmap, the initiative risks becoming symbolic rather than structural.

The Risk of a “Box-Ticking Exercise”

Minister McKenzie has positioned himself as a reformer within the cultural sector, and many practitioners welcomed his willingness to engage with long-standing issues affecting artists and cultural workers. However, reforms that lack clear consultation mechanisms and governance frameworks risk losing the very trust they seek to build.

If the launch of 17 sector clusters proceeds without a transparent implementation plan, provincial engagement strategy, and clear governance structures, it will inevitably be perceived by many in the sector as a box-ticking exercise rather than meaningful transformation.

The Cultural and Creative Industries sector in South Africa is not asking for symbolic announcements. It is asking for inclusive consultation, transparent governance, and sustainable structures that truly represent the diversity of creative practitioners across the country.

If the new sector clusters are to succeed, they must be built with the sector, not merely announced to the sector.

The Creative Passport is an independent platform focused on Arts, Culture and the Creative Industries. Readers are encouraged to follow, comment and engage constructively.

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