SA’s A&E Industry: A Structureless Place
South Africa’s arts and entertainment industry is a poorly developed ecosystem of hopeful artists, underfunded initiatives, poor information dissemination, and a lacking media industry. This isn’t to say that there is no hope, but it does make an already farfetched dream seem less achievable. Where is the hope in the face of what looks to be an insurmountable hurdle? Where is the drive in the presenting art to the country hoping to live off its earnings? What is the problem?
Hope is not a currency
Hopeful artists aren’t knowledgable artists, and nobody is entitled to information from somebody. In essence, being idealistic about your ability to “pop” cannot be the only thing you’re knowledgable about. During the year I spent writing for a prominent hip-hop digital media outlet, it was clear to see that there were artists who spent time learning about the business of music versus the art of music. Granted, we can’t be exceptional at everything, we must collaborate. However, collaboration must also make sense. Collaboration is not asking an established individual to manage you then offer no element of remuneration for their professional service. Hope is not an official currency of South Africa.
The dangerous “project lifestyle”
Underfunded initiatives are equally dangerous because they offer no longevity or security for the people founding the project or bankrolling it. Labor is expensive, there isn’t enough money to turn over a sizeable profit and pay the salaries of everyone involved in a given initiative. "Here today and gone tomorrow,” is something we often see with different project and initiatives. The concept is brilliant, but there is no budget to maximize or garner real support that could contribute financially to the initiative.
Lack of information
Google is one of the vastest research tools available, yet it seems to be the most underused tool in South Africa. This has a lot to do with the fact that music industry content is not produced specific to South Africa, and instead uses examples and queues from developed markets like the United States. Even so, the basics of marketing that are applicable internationally are not followed, and in turn, artists have not applied the knowledge that is already available. Where information isn’t free, there are funding options, particularly crowdfunding in your local communities (family and friends) to pool resources in order to improve skills.
A failing media industry
South Africa’s industries are all suffering in one way or the next. The playing field isn’t level and the effects of this show. There aren’t nearly enough outlets to service every niche, every artist, every new entrant, etc. where music is concerned. There is not as much money in media for the arts, a problem we see throughout the world, especially in comparison to political media budgets. Nevertheless, we cannot deny that where our beloved media publications are to be considered, their bottom lines are struggling just as much as their content. That isn’t shade, it’s an uncomfortable truth.
So with the above in mind, what do we do? Where do artists get the money to develop and thrive? Where do publications get the money to pay more staff? Where do the individuals who start initiatives to improve the lives of industry participants get the money to bankroll their efforts for longer than a season? If everything boils down to money, where are we supposed to get it from? There is no one-size-fits-all solution to this. There isn’t an answer that will fix things overnight. However from what I’ve seen over the years, save the money you can, research the information you can find, and grow a loyal fanbase for whom you make music. “Community” will be our saviour, because with a community there is an opportunity to access greater financial support.
