28 October @ 9:00 am – 30 October @ 5:00 pm
Africa’s creative industries are full of stories worth telling, but getting those stories funded, produced and in front of global audiences takes more than talent. It takes access, meaningful connections and the right people willing to take a chance on an idea.
That’s where FAME Week Africa 2026 comes in. Returning to Cape Town‘s CTICC2 from 28–30 October, the event will bring together 211 speakers, more than 80 buyers and commissioning editors, international producers and creative professionals for three days focused on the business behind Africa’s cultural influence.
For emerging filmmakers, independent producers, musicians, fashion entrepreneurs and digital creators, the opportunity goes beyond attending another industry event. It is about getting African ideas into rooms where decisions are made.
Turning African Creativity Into Global Opportunity
The creative economy offers young South Africans multiple ways to build careers, from filmmaking and music production to fashion, digital storytelling and content creation. However, turning a promising concept into a sustainable business can be challenging when funding, distribution and industry connections remain difficult to access.
FAME Week Africa aims to bring those conversations closer together.
With distributors, broadcasters, financiers and international commissioning executives attending, the event creates opportunities for creatives to pitch projects, explore partnerships and better understand what audiences and content buyers are looking for.
Through its ConnectMe platform, delegates can schedule meetings before arriving, helping them approach the market with more than just business cards and good intentions.
A major programme highlight will bring senior representatives from MultiChoice, CANAL+ and STUDIOCANAL together to discuss commissioning priorities, audience expectations and what producers need to understand when pitching to CANAL+ Africa.
For independent creators, knowing how these decisions are made could be just as valuable as securing a meeting.
Fifty Years of Television, Ten Years of Netflix
South Africa‘s screen industry has changed dramatically over the decades, moving from traditional broadcasting towards streaming platforms, international collaborations and increasingly diverse viewing habits.
In 2026, two major milestones provide an opportunity to reflect on that evolution: 50 years of SABC television and 10 years of Netflix in South Africa.
The SABC’s five-decade legacy highlights the enduring importance of local broadcasting, while Netflix’s decade in the country demonstrates how South African productions can reach audiences far beyond their original markets.
According to the announcement, Netflix productions and partnerships have supported more than 8,000 direct and indirect jobs over the past decade and worked with more than 30 local production companies.
These figures point to an important conversation for the next generation of creatives: how can South Africa continue developing homegrown talent while building businesses capable of competing internationally?
The challenge is not simply producing more content. It is ensuring that creators have the skills, resources, rights and commercial opportunities to benefit from the stories they bring to life.
African Stories, International Partnerships
France takes centre stage as FAME Week Africa’s 2026 Destination Country, opening another avenue for collaboration between African and European creative industries.
French producers, buyers and distributors will connect with African counterparts to explore co-productions, distribution and creative exchange. The programme begins on 27 October with French Night at Cape Town’s Homecoming Centre, featuring the African premiere of Le Fantôme de l’Opéra.
For South African filmmakers and producers, international partnerships can create access to new funding opportunities, technical expertise and distribution networks. The real opportunity, however, lies in building collaborations that preserve the cultural identity of African stories rather than simply adapting them for overseas markets.
The event will also feature familiar South African creative voices, including Kim Jayde, Thando Thabethe, Thabo Rametsi, Flavia Motsisi and Mimi Bartels. Meanwhile, the African Women in Entertainment Breakfast, powered by RAY Content Hub, will feature a keynote address by Lorcia Cooper.
More Than Film: A Creative Economy in Motion
FAME Week Africa extends beyond traditional screen industries, recognising how music, fashion, food and digital culture increasingly intersect.
Muziki Africa will explore music rights, royalties, synchronisation, artificial intelligence and monetisation, while the African Fashion Forum will focus on the business and future of African fashion. Tastes + Threads will bring fashion, food, music and storytelling together under the theme Threads of Africa: From the Streets to the World.
The Inclusive Lens Awards, powered by Earcandy and hosted by Siv Ngesi, will also recognise representation of LGBTQ+ communities, people with disabilities and children on screen.
After the main programme, the FAME Shorts Film Festival will take over The Rockefeller Hotel from 30 October to 1 November, presenting 36 films across three days.
Together, these initiatives reflect a broader creative landscape in which culture is not just entertainment. It is also intellectual property, employment, entrepreneurship and an opportunity to shape how African communities are represented.
The Next Opportunity Could Start With One Conversation
FAME Week Africa 2026 takes place at CTICC2 in Cape Town from 28–30 October, with the French Night programme beginning on 27 October and the FAME Shorts Film Festival running from 30 October to 1 November.
For creatives hoping to turn an idea into a viable project, the most valuable takeaway may be understanding how the industry works, identifying the right collaborators and learning what it takes to move from concept to commission.
The speakers and buyers will be there, but opportunity rarely comes from simply being in the room. It comes from arriving prepared, asking better questions and knowing the value of your work.
Interested in attending? Registration is available through the official FAME Week Africa website.
For Africa’s next generation of storytellers, the question is no longer whether the continent has stories worth sharing. It is how those stories can travel further, create sustainable opportunities and remain authentically African along the way.
