Mekgwe calls on banks to finance creatives

Mekgwe implored the banks across Africa to finance the creative industry as is the case with any other sector. She said this in an interview with Arts & Culture following her return from Zambia where she had attended the African Continental Free Trade Area (AFCFTA) Youth Symposium as a panellist. The topic for the panel discussion was ‘The Nexus Between The Creative Industry And The AFCTA In Africa’.

Mekgwe stated that lack of access to finance is the main reason why the creative industry has remained stagnant over the years. “Access to finance and the tendency by African countries to view the creative industry from a cultural side rather than a commercial lens are some of the things that hold us back. Coupled with constrained fiscal space means that many African governments have overlooked creatives in national budgets including tax and fiscal incentives,” she bemoaned.