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Simon L. Makwela

@macmak

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Livingstone gave us more than a view of Victoria Falls. It gave the African creative economy a seat at the table. This week our Executive Chairman, @tebogomoalusi_, represented Creative20 (CE20) at the #AfricaCommerceConvergenceSummit (ACCS), where three of the continent's professional confederations came together: the @amc_african_marketing (AMC), @TICONAfrica (technology) and @ascon_africa (supply chain). Together they reach more than 300,000 professionals. Our focus was the AMC Conference, and the programme could not have been more on point. From the masterclass on taking African culture and heritage from local roots to global shelf space, to the Brand Africa panel on converting cultural capital and creativity into competitive advantage, to sessions on Africa's creative and digital exports and the voices of young creators. Thank you to every speaker and leader who shaped those conversations. Then came the news at the heart of it all. Creative20 has been invited to be a founding member of the Federation of African Creative Economies (FACE), the fourth confederation to join ACCS. Across all 55 countries, FACE will work with the existing federations to become a convergence platform for championing the creative economy and the ambitions of creative practitioners and stakeholders, through member bodies in every country. What comes next: • Offices and teams across all four regions of Africa • A clear strategy and plan for the federation • Our inaugural conference at ACCS 2027 in Ethiopia This is a big moment for the business of the arts and the business of creativity. The creative economy is no longer knocking on the door. It is taking its seat as a founding partner. If you lead a creative body, network or business in your country, let's talk. The road to Ethiopia starts now. #CreativeEconomy #FACE #ACCS2026 #AfricaRising #Creative20 #AfricanCreatives #AMC #TICONAfrica #ASCON taken in Zambia by @macmak
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8 days ago
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The Revolution will be Televised - Building pathways for supercharging the Film and TV industry in SA Thank you @creativecnergy for hosting the Policy & Investment symposium this year! Truly profound and progressive discussions were had and firm intentions to move the creative economy forward. Thank you to our panellists @mondetwala, @nomsalc and @kobedipepsipokane taken in Alexander Forbes Sandton by @macmak
2
a month ago
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The agreed plan. Nine dates, three months. 20 Aug: short-term workgroups start 25 Aug: guideline workgroups start 11-12 Sep: short-term work closes 30 Sep: adjudication convenes, R700m backlog on the table 1 Oct - 27 Nov: pause on new applications only 27 Nov: new applications resume, R600m pencilled in for 2027/28 Nov (TBC): report back to Parliament The plan is signed. Now it’s about whether the dates hold. Full session on Parliament’s YouTube channel, link in bio. @save.sa.film.jobs @independentproducersorg @editorsguildsa taken in Parliament, Cape Town by @macmak
2
2 months ago
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South Africa’s film and TV industry has spent close to a year stuck behind a stalled rebate system. Approvals frozen. Producers left waiting, with no answers. In the last six months, one production company alone lost four foreign projects because of the uncertainty. R822 million in local spend, gone to another country. 1,850 jobs that did not happen this year. This morning, the Save SA Film and TV Jobs Coalition (@save.sa.film.jobs) and DTIC sat down at Parliament and signed a joint action plan. Three months. Real dates. Backlogged claims start clearing by the end of September. South Africa is Country in Focus at the Berlinale in February 2027. We need our house in order before the world watches. The plan is signed. Now we watch whether it holds. This is a snippet. Full proceedings are on Parliament’s channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IOFsRBkgwPA taken in South Africa by @macmak
4
2 months ago
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South African cinema is not dead. Far from it. Global blockbusters, “The Odyssey” and “Spider-Man: Brand New Day”, broke box office records worldwide. Our own stories have been reaching cinemas too, in steady numbers. In the past three months alone, a real wave of South African feature films hit screens across the country. “Variations on a Theme” in May. “Studying Under the Barrel of a Gun” in June. Then a strong July run of “Dear Sis Dolly”, “God’s Work”, “Angels: They Are Amongst Us”, “Black Burns Fast”, and “The Trek”. None of this happened in ideal conditions. Most of these films were made during a sector crisis. Private funding, personal conviction, and sheer resilience carried them through. There’s a lesson in this. Our stories still matter, but what we can also learn is that our stories need to connect with audiences too. Filmmakers who think early about who the film is for, how it performs in the market, and why people will spend their time and money on it give their work a real chance. Marketing and exposure work best when they’re built into the plan from day one, not bolted on at the end. Distributors and exhibitors have an important part to play as well. When local films get the same positioning and support as international releases, they can hold their own at the box office. Congratulations to every filmmaker who pushed to get these films seen. This slate proves South African cinema is alive and worth fighting for. Strong openings and lasting impact to you all. 🇿🇦🎬 taken in South Africa by @macmak
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2 months ago
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Looking at the way things are, I may just as well. Nine mayors in under ten years. That is not instability. That is a system working exactly as designed, for the people running it, not for the people living in it. Johannesburg’s water reservoirs are decaying. Its electricity grid fails under basic load. Its inner city is deteriorating while safety goes unaddressed. Small businesses face red tape that stalls jobs before they exist. Behind all of it sits one practice of cadre deployment. Appointing people to run water, power, and infrastructure based on party loyalty rather than technical competence. The professionals who could fix these systems get placed second to political allegiance, and the people accountable for delivery answer to a party structure first, and to residents second, if at all. There are more problems than these four. I’ll focus on them because they are the ones you can test directly at the ballot box. Stop expecting a different result from the same political bet. Active citizenship means holding every candidate and party to a higher standard, not only on election day, but in every council meeting and public participation process after it. Before you vote for your next municipal leader, ask three questions. First, stability. Do they bring qualified, non partisan technical experts to run water, power, and roads, or do they hand out jobs as political favours? Second, sustainability. Is there a funded plan to fix ageing infrastructure and stop resource loss, or only short term fixes? Third, economic growth. Do they make it easier for local businesses to invest, trade, and create jobs, or does bureaucracy choke economic activity? A city does not fix itself. It gets fixed by people who refuse to accept managed decline as normal. Which of these three questions matters most to you, and why? Tell me in the comments. taken in Johannesburg, South Africa by @macmak
18
2 months ago
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We are at the Eastern Cape Film Expo with the @ecdc_developec this week. see you there! taken in Makhanda by @macmak
1
3 months ago
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Absolutely magical experience attending the launch of the @davidtlale winter range at the @thegautrain Sandton and Park Stations last night. This was unimaginable and totally immersive! taken in Gautrain Station, Sandton by @macmak
1
5 months ago
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Led by Andani Africa,recently amongst a panel of other industry experts from the Independent Producers Organisation (IPO), and the Save SA Film Jobs Coalition-GIBS hosted a discussion for producers, policymakers, funders, labour representatives, and industry stakeholders to confront the real consequences of inaction, share on-the-ground realities, and collectively define pathways toward a fair, functional, and competitive incentive ecosystem that protects jobs and unlocks growth. by @macmak
8
6 months ago
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On 30 March 2026, Minister Gayton McKenzie officially launched South Africa’s 17 Cultural and Creative Industry Clusters at Nirox Sculpture Park. For the board of the South African Audiovisual Cluster NPC (@saavcorg) and for me personally, this marks the formal recognition of work that began nearly two years ago. I have served as Chairperson of the Film, Television and Cinema Sector Cluster since April 2025, following my nomination by @sasfed_ and appointment by the board. The cluster boards signed a charter declaration with DSAC at the launch, formalising our collective accountability going forward. Thank you to Minister Gayton McKenzie, Deputy Minister Ms Peace Mabe, Director General Dr Cynthia Khumalo, and Acting DDG Mr Sibusiso Tsanyane. To the MECs who travelled to be present: MEC Galebekwe Virginia Tlhapi, MEC Sibulele Ngongo, and MEC Ntombizanele Sifuba. To every industry leader, practitioner and stakeholder in that room, your presence matters. Thank you to our sponsors, @panavisionofficial South Africa and The @magiclightboxco, for bringing the craft and history of our industry to life at our exhibition stand. We have a lot of work to do. The sector is under real pressure. Job losses are ongoing, funding has diminished, businesses are shutting down, and hope is running out for those who have spent years creating local content. We will engage every policy lever available to us. We will hold ourselves accountable to the practitioners we represent. The cluster framework is a structure. What we build inside it is our responsibility. The board: Simon L. Makwela (Chairperson), Bongi Ndaba @bongekilendaba (Deputy Chairperson), Mpho Malepa @mphomalepapinzi, Jack Devnarain @jackdevnarain, Buli Maliza @malizabuli, Kevan Jones @kevan6986, Zanele Mthembu @zanelem011, Tshepiso Chikapa-Phiri @tshepiso14 taken in Nirox Sculpture Park by @macmak
4
6 months ago
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CREATIVITY IS OUR SUPERPOWER Over the last few months, the @save.sa.film.jobs coalition has engaged in bringing to light the realities of the challenges faced by the Film Sector in South Africa. Yesterday's panel at @gibsbusinessschool spoke truth to power and reflected on what tomorrow and the future of the film incentive and film sector could and should look like. Great insights from representatives from @saguildofactors , @save.sa.film.jobs , @chocolatetribe and key members of @independentproducersorg and @sasfed_ . Big ups and happy birthday to @andani.africa for their 10-year milestone and their research on the reality of the film incentive. taken in GIBS Business School by @macmak
3
6 months ago
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Throwback to DFM 2025 Listen to Simon Makwela @macmak unpack strategy, audiences and building sustainable film success. In “Industrial Development Corporation Engagement with Industry,” he emphasised that distribution should shape development - not follow it. From budgeting to storytelling decisions, everything flows from understanding your audience and how they consume content. For Simon, success is not just creative; it’s strategic, market-aware, and rooted in cultural confidence. Engage with the full session, “Industrial Development Corporation Engagement with Industry” here https://youtu.be/qhLV3lZ0tFM or visit our website to listen to the full DFM2025 Industry Programme https://durbanfilmmart.co.za/dfm-2025-event-programme/ More about Simon Simon Makwela is a South African media executive and tech innovator with 20+ years of experience. Award-winning photographer (Silver Loerie 2005) and SAFTA nominee. As Head of Post Production at Moja Love TV, he helped grow viewership from 150k to 3.2M in 15 months. Director of Maureen Grace Investments and non-executive director at Edgepoint Software. BSc Computer Science, pursuing an MBA. by @macmak
1
6 months ago
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