David Adeleke (Davido) at the 2022 World Cup closing ceremony.

Over the past decade, African music, particularly Afrobeat, has become a major player in the global entertainment industry. Top artists like Burna Boy, Davido, Wizkid, Asake, Tiwa Savage, and Angelique Kidjo have gained global recognition and have even won prestigious awards like the Grammy's. In 2021, African music streaming revenues accounted for $200 million of the $23 billion global industry, with Nigeria, Kenya, and South Africa contributing 67% of the revenues. Similarly, Africa's movie industry is estimated at $1 billion and has gained international recognition with many African movies available on global platforms like Amazon Prime and Netflix. African sports have also gained attention with Moroccan and other African players being critical to the success of western football clubs like PSG, Chelsea, and Bayern Munich. All of these sectors are contributing significantly to the continent's economy and cultural identity.

Social media has played a significant role in promoting African music and movies, as well as increasing the visibility of African artists globally. In addition, global talent management is a critical factor in the success of African entertainment. One of the leading players in this sector is The Plug Entertainment, a Nigerian-based company that specializes in artist management, event promotion, and music distribution. They manage top talents like Davido and partner with major streaming platforms like Apple Music, Spotify, and YouTube to distribute music from their roster of artists.

The founders of The Plug Entertainment, Asa and Bizzle, will share their experiences in managing top creative talents from Africa at this workshop. They will provide insight into how these talents are driving positive change and how we can derive more collective value as a continent. Media specialist, Chude will also be present to discuss how storytelling is a critical element of economic advancement and how we can shape the Africanist perspective. The challenges faced by the industry and the future opportunities will also be discussed.