Why the voice of the music industry should be heard in the national dialogue

GIFT MDLALOSE
SOUTH Africa’s creative industry contributes more to the national Gross Domestic Product (GDP) than agriculture.

This fact alone should compel us to ask: why are we constantly discussing other sectors like agriculture in national policy forums while music and the broader creative sector are completely sidelined?

To speak of rebuilding the economy, addressing unemployment, and engaging youth without mentioning music is to overlook a billion-rand industry that not only creates jobs but shapes what the world knows South Africa to be today.

Music is more than entertainment; it is a force that drives identity, unites communities, and sparks hope. It is a major critical economic engine, providing employment to thousands of young people across all nine provinces.

Yet, despite its immense contribution, it remains an afterthought in national development discussions.

The South African music industry suffers from a lack of institutional support, inadequate education, and limited access to legal, financial, and administrative resources.

Most artists do not have access to music business training, and many are taken advantage of in a system that is poorly regulated. Their careers often shine brightly for a moment and disappear just as quickly, leaving behind disillusioned youth and lost potential.

At the same time, our music is transforming global culture. Amapiano, a genre created and driven by South African youth, is now a global sound. It plays in cities across Africa, Europe, and Asia. International artists sample it.

Global festivals book it. And yet, the creators of this genre often lack support, brand ownership, or intellectual property rights. How can we have national pride without investing in the culture that puts us on the world stage?

It’s for that reason why the National Dialogue is a perfect platform for the music industry players and creatives to come together and put their interests on the national stage without any censorship.

Just like a producer mixing a song in a studio and the vocal artist singing their lungs out, our voice and rhythm should help make our mark in the National Dialogue.

Institutions like the Music Business Academy are doing their part, educating artists, building infrastructure, and creating platforms for sustainable growth, but we cannot do it alone.

We need government, civil society, and business executives to recognise the music industry as a priority sector.

We need policy inclusion, access to funding, infrastructure support, and national strategies that include the creative economy.

If we want a truly inclusive national dialogue, one that speaks to the future of our country, then music must be part of the conversation. Ignoring it would be ignoring one of South Africa’s greatest assets.

(Mdlalose is a managing director at Music Business Academy Southern Africa. His views don't necessarily reflect those of the Sunday Tribune, Independent Media Group or IOL)