Image: MGE Open Call poster       (Source: DSAC) DSAC open call of Mzansi Golden Economy (MGE) grant funding applications to the cultural and creative industries/ arts, culture and heritage fraternity are open  By Thami akaMbongo Manzana |  The Creative Passport The National Department of Sport, Arts and Culture (DSAC) opens Mzansi Golden Economy (MGE) grant funding applications to the Cultural and Creative Industries/ Arts, Culture and Heritage Fraternity. 🗓️30 January 2026 at 17h00.  Mzansi Golden Economy (MGE) Launched with a mandate to increase economic growth and to create jobs in the country, the Mzansi Golden Economy strategy considers the arts, culture, and heritage sector as the “new gold”, which has the potential to reposition the sector as the key market player in the country’s economic development. With improved investment in key creative economy areas, the department b...

                           (Source: NAC) 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐍𝐀𝐂 𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐒 𝐎𝐑𝐆𝐀𝐍𝐈𝐒𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐒𝐔𝐏𝐏𝐎𝐑𝐓 𝐅𝐔𝐍𝐃𝐈𝐍𝐆 (𝐀𝐎𝐒𝐅) 𝐂𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐀𝐏𝐏𝐋𝐈𝐂𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒 𝐈𝐒 𝐍𝐎𝐖 𝐎𝐏𝐄𝐍! By Thami akaMbongo Manzana |  The Creative Passport The National Arts Council of South Africa (NAC) invites registered arts organisations and companies to apply for the three-year Arts Organisation Support Funding (AOSF). Eligible organisations 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗰𝗿𝗮𝗳𝘁, 𝗱𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲, 𝗺𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗰, 𝘃𝗶𝘀𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘀, 𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲, 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗿𝗲, 𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗶-𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘀 are encouraged to apply. 𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐫𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐛𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞: http://www.nac.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/AOSF-Funding-Guidelines-for-2025-2028.pdf 𝐂𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐂𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐑𝐄 𝐍𝐔𝐌𝐁𝐄𝐑: 𝟎𝟏𝟏 𝟎𝟏𝟎 𝟖𝟖𝟖𝟔. 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓𝐒𝐀𝐏𝐏 𝐍𝐔𝐌𝐁𝐄𝐑:...

                      Image: Creative Media      (no copyright infringement is intended.) By Thami aka Mbongo Manzana |  The Creative Passport When Talent Meets Silence South Africa’s creative sector is vibrant, diverse, and deeply integral to our cultural identity. From township theatre collectives to independent film producers and digital art innovators, the country is bursting with talent and ingenuity. Yet, despite this richness, the media landscape often overlooks the creative industry as a whole. Coverage tends to be fragmented—limited to festival reviews, occasional interviews, or fleeting viral moments—without sustained analysis or advocacy. This lack of dedicated media attention not only limits visibility for artists but also affects policy, funding allocation, and sectoral accountability. In a country where public arts funding is scarce and private investment cautious, the role of creative industry medi...