Ghana will host the maiden edition of Creatives Connect Afrika from November 25 to 30, 2025, at the La Palm Royal Beach Hotel in Accra.
The event, part of the Blackstar Experience initiative, is being organised in collaboration with the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat and Africa Tourism Partners (ATP). It was officially launched on August 22, 2025, at the AfCFTA Secretariat in Accra.
Bringing together players from across Africa’s tourism, cultural, and creative arts industries, the programme seeks to drive collaboration, trade, and innovation. Dignitaries at the launch included Emily Mburu-Ndoria, Director of Trade in Services, Investment, Intellectual Property Rights and Digital Trade at AfCFTA; Francis Doku, West Africa Representative for ATP; Rex Owusu Marfo, Coordinator of the Blackstar Experience; and broadcaster Samuel Agyemang, who served as MC.
Ghana has secured the hosting rights for three years, after which the event will rotate to other African countries.
The core objectives of Creatives Connect Afrika include:
- advancing continental integration in the creative and cultural industries,
- promoting intra-African collaboration and trade in film, music, and fashion,
- equipping creatives and entrepreneurs with the skills to leverage AfCFTA opportunities,
- addressing barriers to trade,
- facilitating partnerships and co-productions,
- strengthening private sector collaboration, and
- celebrating Africa’s heritage through the arts.
Organisers describe the event as an expansion of the AfCFTA Tourism, Creative and Cultural Industries Forum, previously held in Gaborone, Botswana under the African Tourism Leadership Forum. The new platform widens the scope by integrating tourism with Africa’s creative and cultural industries.
The six-day programme will feature masterclasses in film, music, and fashion, with sessions on trade rules, market access, content development, financing, production, distribution, and the regulatory environment. Discussions will also cover visa and mobility challenges, cultural diplomacy, storytelling, emerging technologies, the gig economy, and infrastructure for the creative sector.