TORO NATION Welcomes Constructive Engagement with the New National Arts Council Leadership Issued by TORO NATION TORO NATION wishes to update the cultural and creative sector on a significant engagement held today with the newly appointed National Arts Council (NAC) Accounting Authority, Mr Lebogang Mogoera. The meeting provided an important opportunity for open, honest and solution-oriented discussions on the current state of the National Arts Council and its relationship with artists, cultural practitioners and the broader creative sector. TORO NATION expresses its sincere appreciation to Mr. Mogoera for creating space for meaningful engagement. His willingness to listen, acknowledge existing challenges and demonstrate a commitment to rebuilding the relationship between the National Arts Council and the sector represents a positive step towards restoring confidence in the institution.               Image: Mr Lebogang Mogoera During the engagem...

  Are We Still Calling Creative Workers "Independent Contractors" While Treating Them Like Employees? An opinion piece by Thami akaMbongo Manzana In 2010, the then Department of Labour released a report titled Employment Relationships in the South African Creative Industry . It sought to answer a simple but powerful question: Who is really an employee in South Africa's Cultural and Creative Industries? Sixteen years later, perhaps the more uncomfortable question is this: What exactly has changed? If one reads this report today without looking at the publication date, one could easily mistake it for a report released in 2026. That should worry all of us. The report investigated employment relationships across music, theatre, film and television, crafts, visual arts and design. It found that while most creative workers were legally regarded as independent contractors, many worked under conditions that looked remarkably similar to employment. They were controlled, economical...