By Lucy Ilado
The G20 Rio de Janeiro Declaration, adopted in November 2024, offers a framework for the global arts and culture sector. It acknowledges the immense value of culture in fostering unity, sustainability, and dialogue. For Africa, this is a critical moment. Yet, while the declaration sets an aspirational tone, it prompts a deeper question: can such commitments truly transform the lived realities of those that work in the arts and culture sector? Across the continent, artistic freedom and cultural development are not abstract goals; they are deeply intertwined with daily struggles for visibility, security, and support.
The summit, held between 17 and 18 November, marked a historic moment for Africa. South Africa, a longstanding member of the G20, announced it would assume the presidency in 2025, becoming the first African country to lead this influential international forum. This milestone places Africa in a strategic position to steer global conversations toward its priorities. The African Union, having gained full membership in the G20 in 2023, was also present, representing its member states. Angola, Egypt, and Mali were among the African countries invited, reflecting the growing recognition of the continent’s importance in such global discussions.
Despite the progress, the arts and culture sector has rarely, if ever, been a central agenda item on high-level platforms like the G20 where discussions often gravitate toward economic development, technology, and geopolitics, leaving culture sidelined as an auxiliary concern. This neglect persists despite overwhelming evidence of culture’s potential to drive economies and promote social cohesion. But now, there’s an opportunity to push culture to the forefront, not as an afterthought but as a key driver of the economy through its contribution to GDP, job creation, and community development across the continent.
Public financing for culture remains one of the continent’s most pressing challenges. The commitment by African Union member states to allocate 1% of national budgets to culture by 2030, as highlighted in the CFCA reports, signals a promising shift, but the reality often falls short. For instance, Zambia has consistently allocated less than 0.1% of its national budget to culture, despite recognising its potential as part of a diversified economy. Similarly, Uganda’s culture budget is undermined by fragmented policies, with key cultural projects often underfunded or deprioritised. Zimbabwe, despite having a slightly higher allocation of 1.24%, struggles with a lack of coordinated systems to ensure equitable distribution of funds.
The Salvador da Bahia Declaration, adopted on November 8 by the G20 Ministers of Culture, emphasises the necessity of adequate public investment in the protection and promotion of culture. It highlights the transformative potential of culture to advance equity, social inclusion, and sustainable development. Moreover, it calls for integrating cultural strategies into climate action, recognising the unique contributions of Indigenous knowledge and creative industries to resilience efforts. However, the absence of these key points in the G20 Leaders’ Declaration underscores the ongoing marginalisation of culture in global policy frameworks.
This gap highlights the urgent need for African countries to champion culture, ensuring that such appeals do not remain sidelined but become central to global policy discussions. For example, Ethiopia’s successful investment in cultural projects like the Adwa Museum demonstrates what targeted public funding can achieve, yet its broader cultural sector remains underfunded, a situation mirrored across much of the continent.
Artistic freedom, emphasised in the G20 Declaration, is another area where Africa faces significant challenges. The declaration specifically called for strengthening dialogue on artistic freedom both online and offline in accordance with intellectual property frameworks and international labor standards. While this is a significant step, it risks narrowing artistic freedom to legal and economic frameworks, potentially overlooking its broader, more transformative dimensions. Countries like Mozambique and Uganda illustrate the stark realities of self-censorship and dependence on political goodwill, as highlighted in the PANAF report. Without comprehensive legal protections and diverse support systems, artistic expression remains vulnerable to both political interference and economic precarity. The G20’s focus on fair pay and decent work is a step in the right direction, but it requires local governments to prioritise the welfare of their cultural workers.
Digital innovation and artificial intelligence represent both an opportunity and a risk for Africa’s creative industries. The G20 called for global engagement on copyright and related rights in the digital environment, particularly concerning the impacts of AI. For Africa, where digital platforms have given traditional art forms renewed life, this represents an opportunity to lead in shaping equitable policies for digital creativity. The Salvador da Bahia Declaration stresses the importance of promoting an inclusive, transparent, and ethical digital ecosystem that supports creators and ensures fair remuneration. It also calls for safeguards against AI’s potential to exacerbate existing inequities in creative sectors, which is particularly relevant for African artists operating in unregulated digital environments. However, weak copyright enforcement leaves many creators exposed to exploitation. In Nigeria, for instance, the booming music industry has yet to fully protect its artists from losing revenue to piracy and unfair licensing deals. Africa now has a chance to leverage the G20 platform to advocate for international frameworks that protect creators’ rights and ensure fair compensation in the digital economy.
Cultural heritage, a cornerstone of Africa’s identity, also deserves greater attention. The Salvador da Bahia Declaration reinforces the need to protect and restore cultural heritage, particularly in the face of climate change, armed conflict, and illicit trafficking. The declaration’s acknowledgment of the value of restitution as a means of fostering reconciliation and strengthening social cohesion is relevant in the ongoing efforts by Africa to reclaim its cultural assets. Efforts like Rwanda’s use of cultural expression for post-genocide reconciliation demonstrate the power of culture to heal and unite. However, as the PANAF report notes, these initiatives often struggle for consistent funding and support.
South Africa’s presidency of the G20 in 2025 presents a rare opportunity for Africa to lead with a unified voice by rallying behind shared priorities such as increased public funding, robust protections for artistic freedom, and equitable access to global markets. With G20 leaders recognising culture as a vehicle for promoting solidarity and confronting racism, this is the moment for Africa to push culture as a strategic pillar for economic and social transformation.
The question is no longer whether Africa can do it; it’s whether Africa will, as South Africa’s leadership is a rare opportunity to showcase the continent as a champion for culture, proving that creativity isn’t just a reflection of who we are but a cornerstone for sustainable progress and equity. We must rally behind our shared priorities, which include increased public funding, freedom of expression, and equitable access to local and global markets.
About PANAF
The Pan-African Network for Artistic Freedom (PANAF) is an initiative advocating for freedom of artistic expression in the creative sector. PANAF seeks to establish an inclusive voice for organisations, artists and culture producers to demand for safe and enabling environments for artistic creativity in the society. For more information, visit the PANAF Website
About CfCA
The Connect for Culture Africa (CfCA) is an initiative that intertwines advocacy efforts at regional and national levels through a multistakeholder regional network that brings culture advocates together raising awareness on the benefits of investing in culture for a democratic, inclusive, peaceful, and sustainable social and economic development. For more information, visit the CfCA Website.
