In the next five years, the Kenyan economy will have 10 percent of the GDP generated from the creative industry, according to Nanjira Sambuli, a musician, mathematician, strategist and technologist in Kenya.
Sambuli explained that creative economies provide a huge opportunity for growth, urging African countries to become members of the UNESCO creative cities network.
“Creative industries that promote technology are associated with originality, imagination, inspiration, ingenuity and inventiveness,” Sambuli said, adding that only by embracing creative industries in the country will Kenya be able to position itself as home of Silicon Savannah and a creative hub.
The UNESCO creative cities network is a group of cities working together to attain cultural diversity and sustainable urban development and in the end to be recognized as creative hubs promoting socio-economic and cultural development.
“There is still very little incorporation of African traditions and creativity into the economies,” Sambuli added.
Only one African city, Aswan of Egypt, is a member of the UNESCO creative cities network.
This has made the city to be globally recognized as City of Crafts and Folk Art, something that has enabled the city to host the International Symposium for Sculpture, where artists from all over the world are invited.
Sambuli explained that if the same is replicated in the tech industry, then Africa will be able to be put on the global map of innovation. Africa also has rich content in literature, film, music, and arts industries, something that it can use to its advantage.
