Why Mercy Pakela Matters?  Mercy Pakela is a South African Living Legend — not by title, but by contribution, endurance and impact. She has seen it all. From the golden era of live bands, vinyl and packed stadiums to today’s digital, fragmented music economy, she has lived every chapter of our cultural history. She has worked alongside some of the greatest artists this country has ever produced. She understands the limelight, the sacrifices behind it, and the systems that both elevate and exploit creatives. Mercy Pakela knows the industry from the inside — on stage, in studios, behind contracts and within communities. What makes her voice even more important today is that she has never stepped away. She remains actively involved in the Cultural and Creative Industries, present in artist engagements, policy conversations and grassroots spaces. She is unapologetically vocal in advocating for artists’ rights, dignity and sustainability. She speaks not for relevance, but for res...

  What the CADP Review Will Reveal — and Why Every Practitioner, Policy-Maker and Community Must Be in the Room South Africa stands at a decisive moment for the future of community arts. Across towns, townships, rural villages and urban centres, community arts centres and organisations continue to carry the weight of social cohesion, youth development, heritage preservation and creative livelihoods — often with limited resources, fragile infrastructure and uneven institutional support. It is within this context that a comprehensive national review of the Community Arts Development Programme (CADP) has been undertaken. While the full report cannot yet be shared publicly, its scope, intent and questions are too important to remain unexplored. This upcoming engagement is not merely a report launch — it is a national reckoning with how community arts have been supported, governed, funded and imagined over the past decade .                   ...

What Was Adopted, What It Means, and Why the Sector Must Re-engage MONDAY EDITION |  UMRHABULO, POLICY & PUBLIC DISCOURSE By Thami akaMbongo Manzana South Africa’s arts, culture and heritage sector has for many years spoken about the Revised White Paper on Arts, Culture and Heritage —often with uncertainty, frustration, and at times confusion about its actual status, implications and impact. Yet this policy document remains one of the most important instruments shaping how the state views, governs and funds arts, culture and heritage in the democratic era. This article seeks to unpack what the Revised White Paper is, when it was approved and adopted, what it meant after adoption, and why practitioners and institutions must critically re-engage with it today .                       Image: DSAC Logo      (Source: www.gov.za) From 1996 to Now: Why a Revised White Paper Was Necessary The original White Paper...

  The Creative Passport is inviting Contributing Writers to join a growing independent online media publication dedicated to the Cultural and Creative Industries in South Africa and the African continent. Founded by Thami akaMbongo Manzana,  The Creative Passport documents, interrogates, and amplifies conversations around arts, culture, policy, governance, heritage, community, and the creative economy.  Our work sits at the intersection of practice, lived experience, accountability, and cultural justice. As the platform continues to grow, we are opening space for multiple voices, perspectives, and disciplines to contribute meaningfully to public discourse. WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR We are inviting practicing practitioners, thinkers, researchers, and cultural workers who are passionate about the sector and can write with clarity, honesty, and depth. You do not need to be a trained journalist. You do need to understand the sector you are writing about. CONTRIBUTING WRITER FOCU...

ZOOMING IN ON COMMUNITY ARTS: REDRESS, RETHINKING AND REPOSITIONING FROM THE GROUND UP In the spirit of the National Dialogue, it is time to zoom in — not on policy statements alone, but on the lived realities of Community Arts across South Africa. In this country, every five years, we make sure that all wards are counted during national and local elections. Ballot boxes reach deep rural villages, townships and informal settlements. Voters are registered, stations are opened, and the language of inclusion becomes non-negotiable. Yet when it comes to service delivery, infrastructure, sustained funding and cultural development, many of these same wards are quietly forgotten. We cannot speak about the arts in South Africa without speaking honestly about arts in our communities. Community Arts is not an “entry level” or “developmental” phase of the sector — it is the foundation. It is where creativity is first discovered, skills are formed, stories are shaped, and social cohesion is prac...

SATURDAY EDITION |  ARTS, CULTURE & COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT Why Spotlight on Tembisa Theatre Week? Why a Conversation with Mxolisi “The Great” Masilela? Because sometimes the most powerful cultural revolutions do not begin in boardrooms or capital cities — they are born in communities, shaped by visionaries, and sustained by relentless belief in the power of the arts. Under the capable and visionary leadership of Mxolisi “The Great” Masilela, CEO & Artistic Director of TX Theatre, the Moses Molelekwa Arts Centre in Tembisa has been transformed into far more than a local venue. It has evolved into a recognised and respected theatre space with international presence, proving that world-class theatre does not require world-class privilege — only world-class vision and execution. Tembisa Theatre Week has since grown into a vibrant hub of theatrical excellence, a meeting point for practitioners, audiences, and communities to experience the kind of bold, honest and innovative th...