The Arts Are Business Strategy Creativity is moving from the edge of the corporate agenda into the systems that shape growth, relevance and long-term value. For too long, the arts have been invited in as the “song and dance” after the serious business is done – useful for entertainment, reputation or a CSI line item,…
Johannesburg, August 2026 — Business and Arts South Africa (BASA), in partnership with Jozi My Jozi, Andani Africa and Creative Capital, convened senior business leaders, government representatives and creative economy stakeholders for a strategic business dinner centred on “The Power of the Arts as a Business Strategy.” Hosted at The Venue at Nine Yards in Rosebank, Johannesburg,…
THE TRAGEDY OF CENSORSHIP Art allows us to engage with truth. It does not prescribe what we should or should not think; rather, it creates and holds a space in which we are confronted with realities and perspectives – often divergent, sometimes conflicting, and frequently ones we might never otherwise allow ourselves to encounter. This…
Why the Arts Can’t Wait for the System to Fix Itself In my work at BASA, I have the privilege of engaging daily with extraordinary arts organisations – institutions that are quietly, consistently transformative in their communities. What is most striking is not only what they achieve, but how they achieve it, often with minimal…
Julia Lemekwane walked into our offices carrying a box in her hands. Inside were copies of her book, Conversations with the Angel Within. Without fanfare, she began handing them out to the BASA team one by one, taking our names as she went, and carefully signing each copy with handwritten messages of affirmation and gratitude. Behind…
Beyond a Logo on a Banner When South Africans think about business and the arts, a predictable image comes to mind: a corporate logo on a theatre programme, a mining house naming rights deal, a bank’s gala dinner sponsorship. But something different is starting to happen – and it’s worth paying attention to. Three recent…
Business and Arts South Africa (BASA), in partnership with the British Council South Africa, has announced the launch of the Creative Youth Policy Lab, a 10-week online programme aimed at strengthening structured youth participation in cultural and creative sector policy development. The programme brings together 10 young creatives (ages 20–35) from Gauteng into a targeted…
Business and Arts South Africa (BASA) showcases the first cohort of projects funded through its Supporting Grants Programme 2.0, a reimagined funding model designed to catalyse business–arts co-creation through prototype partnerships and innovation-led experimentation. The selected projects reflect BASA’s shift from traditional grantmaking towards catalytic support for small-scale, time-bound initiatives that test bold ideas at…
Lead Like an Artist Why Creativity Matters in an Age of Radical Disruption I was recently asked to speak at a creative and cultural leadership programme for young policy shapers. Preparing for that moment triggered an unexpected realisation. I had never consciously articulated my own leadership journey – or even considered myself a leader. A…
Business and Arts South Africa (BASA), in partnership with the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture (DSAC), has announced the fourth iteration of the Debut Fund Programme, a national creative entrepreneurship initiative that continues to strengthen its impact within South Africa’s creative economy. Since its inception in 2017, Debut has evolved into one of BASA’s flagship…
When I joined BASA, I often asked a simple question: how many talented creatives never enter the industry, not because they lack ability, but because access to opportunity is uneven? Three years into working on the Debut Fund Programme, that question has become clearer. It is no longer theoretical, but a system reality. What we…
Business and Arts South Africa (BASA), in partnership with Amazon South Africa, invites creatives and entrepreneurs to an exclusive online workshop designed to help you take the first step into global e-commerce with confidence. About the Workshop This practical, hands-on session will guide you through everything you need to know to start selling on Amazon…
Programme Overview Business and Arts South Africa’s Debut Fund Programme invites experienced professionals to apply for the role of Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Consultant/Organisation to enhance the current curriculum and programme design of the Debut Fund Programme. This is to ensure relevant and sustainability for the Programme’s target demographic: young artists between the ages of…
Innovation is often thwarted by knowledge; an off-the-shelf solution that worked before, and somewhere else – transplanted, grafted or overlaid. When the test fails, the place is blamed, the lack of system, the people, but perhaps it was just a solution for another place, a different era. Perhaps it’s a new era now. Africa is…
South Africa’s creative economy is often underestimated and seen as cultural enrichment only, rather than a serious economic force. Yet the evidence tells a different story. The cultural and creative industries (CCI) already contribute nearly R300 billion to GDP. This represents about 4% of GDP, putting the CCI’s at similar levels to sectors such as…
In a defining moment for South Africa’s cultural and creative industries, the Director-General of the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture (DSAC), Dr Cynthia Khumalo, has doubled the financial investment awarded to the Top 10 finalists of the Debut Fund Programme Pitch Den, reinforcing government’s commitment to unlocking opportunity and accelerating sustainable creative enterprises. The announcement…
Business and Arts South Africa (BASA) will host the first session of its Masterclass Series, Building the Case: Articulating Value for Business, as part of the broader rollout of the BASA 2.0 evolved strategy, which positions BASA as a systems enabler and ecosystem builder within South Africa’s creative economy. EPISODE 1: BUILDING THE CASE –…
The Debut Fund Programme, an initiative of the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture (DSAC) in partnership with Business and Arts South Africa (BASA), hosted the #MyDebutStory Alumni Event on 6 March 2026 at Y Studios in Johannesburg. The event brought together emerging creative entrepreneurs, industry leaders, and sector stakeholders to celebrate the journeys of creatives who…
Job Title: Executive Support to the CEO Reports to: CEO Location: Johannesburg Type: Fixed-term contract (12 months, renewable) About BASA Business and Arts South Africa (BASA) is a leading intermediary organisation at the intersection of business and the arts. We work to strengthen partnerships, unlock investment, and advance the sustainability and impact of the arts…
Job Title: BASA Partnerships & Stakeholder Manager Reports to: CEO Supervises: Membership Coordinator/Membership Officer Location: Johannesburg Type: Fixed-term contract (12 months, renewable) About BASA Business and Arts South Africa (BASA) is a leading connector-catalyst at the intersection of business and the arts. We work to strengthen partnerships, unlock investment, and advance the sustainability and impact…
by Sascha Polkey BASA Insights and Advocacy As Akinwumi Adesina closed his tenure as President of the African Development Bank in 2025, he stated: “The cost of raising capital in Africa is three or four times what it is in other regions. Why? Because of the so-called Africa premium… The issue is perception, the perception…
My brilliant marketing team asked me to share a 100-day reflection on my time as CEO of BASA. I know this is “standard,” and everyone expects it – the reflective post, followed by my face attached to countless beautifully designed snippets celebrating the past few months. But that’s never quite been my style And in…
By Beth Arendse, CEO, Business and Arts South Africa (BASA) South Africa’s hosting of the 2025 G20 Summit was historic for many reasons – but one of the most important is what it means for Africa’s creative and cultural industries. For the first time, the G20’s political, cultural and business tracks aligned around a shared…
Image : (Far Left) Marie Lora Mungayi , (Left) Malibongwe Nzuza , (Middle) Beth Arendse , (Right) Wakiuru Njuguna , (Far Right): Gladwyn Leeuw Johannesburg, South Africa The Creative Futures Africa Summit, held under the theme “From Unseen to Unstoppable,” brought together creative leaders, innovators, policymakers, and investors from across Africa and the Global South to imagine…
The Debut Programme, an initiative by Business and Arts South Africa (BASA), continues to nurture the next generation of creative entrepreneurs through its Catalyst Phase, a stage designed to equip emerging artists with mentorship, business acumen, and the tools to scale their creative ventures. In this phase, the Debut Programme introduces a remarkable group of…
The creative economy is thriving with new voices, bold ideas, and entrepreneurial spirit and at the heart of this transformation stands the Debut Programme, a programme by the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture (DSAC) in partnership with Business and Arts South Africa (BASA). Since its inception in 2017, the Debut Programme has empowered hundreds of young creatives from rural…
Business and Arts South Africa (BASA) announces the appointment of new members to its Board of Directors, following its Annual General Meeting (AGM) held on 3 October 2025. Joining the existing seven directors, the expanded ten-member Board will guide BASA’s growth, governance, and strategic direction. With the BASA 2.0 strategy now underway, this newly appointed Board brings together…
Business and Arts South Africa (BASA) held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) on 3 October 2025, bringing together members, partners, and key stakeholders. The meeting reflected on the organisation’s achievements over the past year and set the stage for a future defined by creativity, collaboration, and transformation. The AGM reaffirmed BASA’s mission to connect business…
The Supporting Grants 2.0 webinar recording is now live and ready to watch online. In this session, BASA CEO Beth Arendse and the Supporting Grants team unpack the repositioned programme and share step-by-step guidance on the application process and criteria. This makes it an essential resource for anyone preparing to apply. Watch the recording here…
Business and Arts South Africa (BASA) is excited to announce a fresh repositioning of its flagship Supporting Grants Programme, signalling a new way of supporting the creative sector and strengthening partnerships between the business and arts. This update aims to spark innovation, increase impact, and build sustainable, high-value collaborations. For more than 25 years, the…