FAME Week Africa 2026 celebrates African creativity, global partnerships and industry opportunities
FAME Week Africa 2026 has wrapped up another successful edition, bringing together over 2 300 creative industry professionals from 47 countries for three days of business, networking, creative showcases and conversations shaping the future of Africa’s entertainment industries.
Held at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC 2) from 28–30 October, and the moving to The Rockefeller hotel for the FAME Shorts Festival from 30 October to 1 November, the event welcomed filmmakers, producers, musicians, broadcasters, distributors, fashion designers, content creators and international decision-makers, reinforcing its position as a key meeting place for Africa’s creative industries.
Under the theme Africa. Untold. Unstoppable., this year’s edition placed a strong emphasis on turning African creativity into commercial opportunities, connecting talent with international markets and building partnerships that extend well beyond the event. With France as the 2026 Destination Focus, supported by the French Institute of South Africa (IFAS), FAME Week Africa 2026 strengthened its international reach, creating opportunities for greater collaboration between African and French creative industries.
From FAME Week Africa 2026 to the stage: A song comes full circle
The celebrations began on 27 October with the France Cocktail Welcome Party at Cape Town’s historic Labia Theatre. The evening brought together international delegates and industry stakeholders for a special screening of The Phantom of the Opera, setting the tone for a week of cultural exchange and collaboration. The official opening on 28 October delivered a particularly special moment when South African singer-songwriter Amy Tjasink performed Feels Like Mzansi, a contemporary reimagining of Mango Groove‘s iconic Special Star. Released through Gallo Remixed in December 2025, the song was written during the FAME Week Africa x Pressure Cooker Studios Songwriting Camp in 2025.
For FAME Week Africa Portfolio Director Martin Hiller, the performance demonstrated the real impact of bringing creative people together.
“There’s something incredibly special about opening FAME Week Africa with a song that exists because of FAME Week Africa. We talk about connecting people, creating opportunities and encouraging collaboration, but this is what that looks and sounds like in practice. A song conceived at FAME Week Africa is now being performed on our opening stage. That’s what makes this event so exciting. You never know what the next conversation or introduction might lead to.”
Three days of conversations, connections and business
Across MIP Africa and Muziki Africa, the conference programme explored the opportunities and challenges facing the continent’s film, television and music industries. From artificial intelligence and intellectual property to content distribution, financing, audience development and emerging technologies, discussions focused on how African creative businesses can remain competitive in an evolving global entertainment market.
Sessions including The Netflix Effect: Local Stories, Global Audiences, AI in Film & Content: Tool, Threat, or Competitive Advantage? and Scaling African Creative IP for Global Export examined the opportunities for African stories to reach international audiences while creating commercial value for local producers and rights holders. The programme also highlighted the importance of developing the next generation of industry professionals. MultiChoice Talent Factory: From Intern to Trailblazer showcased the value of mentorship and training, while From Followers to Film, featuring Kim Jayde and fellow creatives, explored how digital creators are building sustainable careers across film, television and production.
Cape Town’s growing reputation as an international filming destination was highlighted through The Making of Boyz Trip, while sessions on KwaZulu-Natal’s production potential demonstrated opportunities for regional investment, skills development and local industry growth. Muziki Africa brought the business of music into focus, examining music rights, revenue, artist development and the growing relationship between music and screen content.
A significant highlight of this year’s edition was the involvement of MultiChoice, a CANAL+ company, as Super Sponsor. Its participation strengthened the connection between African content creators and commissioning opportunities, while reinforcing the importance of industry collaboration in developing commercially viable African stories. The final conference day also included the Partners Against Piracy Breakfast, hosted by MultiChoice at the Table Bay Hotel, where industry stakeholders discussed the importance of protecting intellectual property and ensuring that African creators benefit from the commercial value of their work.
Celebrating African women and inclusive storytelling
One of the week’s standout moments came at the African Women in Entertainment Breakfast, hosted in partnership with RAY Content Hub, where acclaimed actor Lorcia Cooper delivered an emotional address that received a standing ovation. The breakfast celebrated the women making their mark across Africa’s entertainment industries, while the Women Shaping Africa’s Screen Future session continued the conversation around representation, leadership and opportunities for women in film and television.
The Inclusive Lens Awards 2026, powered by EarCandy and hosted by Siv Ngesi, provided another important highlight, recognising nine outstanding productions championing authentic representation across children’s programming, disability inclusion and LGBTQIA+ storytelling. Nigeria’s Hadu, produced by Smids Animation Studios, received Best Diversity in Kids’ Programming – Pre-School, while Wandi and Kabz, produced by StoryLine Productions, won the Older Kids category for its imaginative celebration of African history. In the disability representation categories, Amigo the Griot, produced by Azania Rizing Productions, won Best Non-Scripted Film; Nkanyezi, produced by SA Film Academy, HomeBrew Films, Filmscape and Bear Minimum Pictures, received Best Scripted Film; and e.tv‘s Scandal!, produced by Ochre Moving Pictures, took home Best Scripted Series. The LGBTQIA+ representation awards recognised Sonder, produced by Sibisi Studio, for Best Non-Scripted Film; Black Burns Fast, produced by Urucu, for Best Scripted Film; Beaulah: Queens van die Kaap – Season 2, produced by POP24, for Best Non-Scripted Series; and Youngins – Season 3, produced by Tshedza Pictures, for Best Scripted Series.
The ceremony also celebrated a significant milestone with the announcement of Samora Mbuyazi as the winner of the inaugural Inclusive Lens Pitching Competition for her television drama project The Empty Bedroom. Developed to create opportunities for filmmakers with disabilities, the competition was launched in partnership with DAWN with support from the National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF). Mbuyazi’s project explores grief, family and communication through a story that places Deaf experiences and South African Sign Language at its heart.
Together, the awards and pitching competition reinforced FAME Week Africa‘s commitment to ensuring that inclusion is reflected not only in the stories audiences see, but also in the opportunities available to the people creating them.
Tastes & Threads brings African Fashion to life
Fashion, food, music and culture came together at Tastes & Threads, held on 29 October at the newly opened The Cape Town EDITION. Under the theme Threads of Africa: From the Streets to the World, the showcase brought together seven African fashion brands for an evening celebrating the continent’s distinctive design identity and growing international influence.
Fresh from Paris Fashion Week, acclaimed South African designer Jacques La Grange served as Creative Director, presenting his latest couture collection alongside designs from S.W.A.N.K. Jozi, Emotives x THETHANA, House of Xandria, Neimil, GUGUBYGUGU and Viviers. The runway unfolded across two chapters, Urban Pulse and Africa Elevated, moving from contemporary African street culture to luxury design and craftsmanship.
The event also created opportunities for emerging modelling talent through a model search in partnership with 3D Management, attracting over 2,000 applications from across South Africa. “African fashion has its own language. We don’t need to imitate what is happening elsewhere in the world. We have authentic design, stories, craftsmanship and culture right here. Tastes & Threads is the narrative showing just how powerful that can be when we showcase it all on one runway,” said La Grange.
African Stories on the big screen
The celebration of African storytelling extended beyond the conference programme with a special MTN Studios screening on 29 October at Ster-Kinekor V&A. Hosted by MTN One TV and MIP Africa, the Yellow Carpet Affair featured an exclusive screening of 100 Reasons to Stay Single in Lagos, an MTN Studios Original. The event highlighted the growing opportunities for collaboration between telecommunications, content production and entertainment platforms in bringing African stories to audiences.
FAME Shorts Film Festival celebrates 17 award winners
The FAME Shorts Film Festival 2026 brought the week to a close with a celebration of independent filmmaking, featuring 36 films from 13 countries and territories. The festival recognised excellence across 17 award categories, celebrating achievements in directing, screenwriting, acting, cinematography, production design, music and inclusive storytelling.
Aasvoëls (Vultures) emerged as the biggest winner, taking home four awards, including Best Short Film, Best Screenplay for Dian Weys, Best Actor for Edwin van der Walt and Best Supporting Actress for Jill Levenberg. Everything Between Us received three awards, including Best LGBTQ+ Film, Best Cinematography for Jason Prins and Best Editing for Shelby Ncube. APART, directed by Pola Maneli, received Best Director and Best Use of Music for Black Coffee and Jamute. Other winners included Lauren Joseph for Best Actress in ‘n Poppy op die Heuwel, Dears in the Headlights for Best Documentary and It’s Just a Movie for Best Student Film.
Partnerships driving Africa’s creative economy
The success of FAME Week Africa 2026 was made possible through the support and collaboration of sponsors, partners and organisations committed to growing Africa’s creative industries. MultiChoice, a CANAL+ company, played a significant role as Super Sponsor, supporting industry engagement and opportunities for African content creators. The City of Cape Town continued its support as Host City, reinforcing Cape Town’s position as a destination for international productions, creative investment and industry collaboration.
The French Institute of South Africa (IFAS) supported the France Destination Focus, helping connect French and African industry professionals and strengthening cultural and commercial relationships. The event was further supported by Platinum Sponsor MTN one tv, Gold Sponsor SABC, Silver Sponsors IDC and Ray Content Hub, and Bronze Sponsors TV5MONDE and EarCandy.
Key partnerships included Media Valley Collaboration Hub, Pressure Cooker Studios, SAE Institute, SAMPRA and KUMISA through Muziki, as well as BRONX SA and 3D Models through Taste & Threads. Additional partners included The Film Biz Show, MLT Car Hire and Tours, Cape Town EDITION, Jacques Lagrange Couture, Urban Zulu, Air France KLM and Kenya Airways.
Together, these partnerships strengthen Africa’s creative industries, create opportunities for talent and connect the continent to the global entertainment landscape.
Creating opportunities that last
Reflecting on the success of the 2026 edition, Hiller said the international participation from 47 countries demonstrated the importance of creating platforms that connect African creativity with global opportunity.
“Welcoming industry professionals from 47 countries to Cape Town is something we’re incredibly proud of. But for me, the real success of FAME Week Africa is what happens after everyone goes home. It’s the relationships that are built, the careers that are launched, the productions that come to life and the business opportunities that emerge. We’ve seen some incredible talent across our stages, from emerging filmmakers and musicians to established industry leaders. We’ve celebrated African fashion, championed inclusive storytelling and had important conversations about protecting and growing our creative industries. None of this happens without the support of our sponsors, partners and the industry that continues to believe in what we’re building. Their commitment helps us create a platform where African talent can connect, collaborate and do business.”
“FAME Week Africa is about bringing the right people together and creating an environment where things can happen. Africa has extraordinary talent and stories to tell, and our job is to help connect that talent with the world.”
As FAME Week Africa looks ahead to 2027, the focus remains on strengthening international partnerships, developing African intellectual property, supporting emerging talent and creating opportunities that contribute to a sustainable creative economy.
With another edition concluded, one message remains clear: Africa has the stories, the talent and the ambition to compete on the global stage.
AFRICA. UNTOLD. UNSTOPPABLE.
Also Read:
