Waking up the sleeping giant of SA’s creative economy

Our public and private sectors continue to treat creativity as an extracurricular activity rather than the strategic economic opportunity it could be. Now, a novel partnership between Henley Business School and the Leaders in Motion Academy is laying the groundwork to turn the creative sector into an engine for growth.

By Thato Moraka and Barry van Zyl

29 Jan 2026

Lima founder and CEO Thato Moraka at the launch of The Creative Universe in partnership with Henley Business School Africa. (Source: Daily Maverick )

Every day, millions of South Africans consume digital content – animations, mobile games, films, VR experiences – often without realising just how enormous the global creative economy has become. It is a sector now valued at over $3 trillion worldwide. Yet despite Africa being the second-largest consumer of gaming globally, our contribution to this trillion-dollar industry remains painfully small.

The irony is stark: we are a continent rich in creativity, storytelling, innovation and cultural capital. But we are not yet rich in the infrastructure, investment and coordinated systems needed to translate those assets into global-scale businesses.

South Africa today has more than 252 gaming and digital content studios, yet only about six generate real, sustainable revenue. These numbers tell a story of an industry that is bursting with potential but lacking the oxygen of investment and structured development.

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Source: Daily Maverick

About the author

Thato Moraka is a media personality, and Founder and CEO of Leaders in Motion Academy (LiMA) and a current Global Executive MBA candidate at Henley Business School. Barry van Zyl is a South African musician and Programme Lead for the Global MBA at Henley Business School. The two also head up the Creative Universe, a collaboration between LiMA and Henley Business School that is championing a coordinated response to commercialising and scaling Africa’s creative sector.