America and Africa are beefing up relations as FAME Week Africa seeks to connect companies in the creative space.
Convened by Prosper Africa, a delegation of U.S. Government officials and American companies to FAME Week Africa, which is currently being held in Cape Town, South Africa.
FAME Week Africa is a premiere pan-African event promoting arts, film, television, animation, music, fashion, and media across the continent.
Prosper Africa is the U.S. Government initiative to boost two-way trade and investment between the United States and African countries.
According to organisers, through Prosper Africa and beyond, the U.S. Government recognizes the power of the creative industries in driving investment and business opportunities in the U.S. and Africa.
The three-day FAME Week Africa event will showcase the role of creative industries in advancing sustainable and inclusive growth in Africa.
Moreover, the U.S. delegation to FAME will connect U.S. and international film distributors with African producers and distributors for networking and business opportunities.
The United States, is one of the world’s leading exporters of creative goods and services, contributing $660 billion of the global $2 trillion media and entertainment market, was selected as the Guest Country for this year’s inaugural FAME Week Africa.
Further revealed is that crossover between the U.S. and African creative industries is already occurring, with Netflix as the largest streaming player in Africa hosting more than two million subscribers, and Amazon Video and Walt Disney Studios signing finance and production deals with African creators.
The new U.S. Ambassador to South Africa, Reuben E. Brigety II, offered remarks on behalf of the United States at the event’s opening ceremony.
“We live in an interconnected world. We all know the power of the creative industries in telling stories, building human connections, and advancing freedom of expression,” said Ambassador Brigety.
“All of us can practice Ubuntu Diplomacy. We are the bridge that connects the African continent to the rest of the world,” the Ambassador stated.
Prosper Africa brings together the full suite of U.S. Government services and resources, across 17 participating agencies, to provide three key services: market intelligence, deal support, and financing.
The Prosper Africa delegation will network with attendees and showcase their multimedia products over the course of the next three days. The U.S. Government team and Prosper Africa Advisors are positioned to
provide attendees with support to unlock available U.S. Government tools for business and investment.
“The United States recognizes the tremendous potential of the creative industries in driving growth, fostering prosperity and creating lucrative economic opportunities on both sides of the Atlantic,” said Leslie Marbury, Chief Operating Officer for Prosper Africa. Africa’s creative sectors are expected to create more than three million jobs over the next six years with adequate investment and support.
In addition, the U.S. Government delegation includes officials from the U.S. Department of Commerce, the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Agency for International Development, and the Prosper Africa Secretariat, alongside a group of U.S. businesses and investors.
This three-day event which started on August 24 ends on August 26.
