Navigating the Next Act: How Southern Africa’s Creative Industry Is Rewriting Its Own Script

Under the soft glow of the Market Theatre’s historic stage lights, a powerful conversation is unfolding. For decades, the Southern African creative industry has dazzled audiences, yet behind the applause lies a quiet crisis — one of sustainability, structure, and economic neglect.This month, Mr. Lethlage Mochadibane, Project Manager of the Southern African Producers and Artistic Directors Conference (SAPAC), sat down with Trends Nexus to unpack the outcomes of the recent regional conference and to chart a future where creativity is treated not as leisure — but as labour, livelihood, and legacy.