SECTOR CLUSTERS OR SECTOR SILENCING? QUESTIONS SOUTH AFRICA MUST ASK NOW As the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture (DSAC), under Minister Gayton McKenzie, prepares to launch the 17 Sector Clusters on Monday, 30 March 2026 , a moment that should signal progress instead raises a storm of uncomfortable, necessary questions. At face value, this initiative appears structured, funded, and timely. But beneath the surface, the timing, process, and participation gaps reveal something far more troubling — a sector being reorganised without its full voice . Why launch now — and for whom? Why is this launch happening days before the close of the financial year ? Is this truly about sector development — or is it about meeting financial compliance deadlines ? If each of the 17 Sector Clusters has been allocated R2 million , with an initial tranche of approximately R1.2 million already disbursed , what exactly has been achieved so far? Where are the reports justifying the first tranche? Who has ev...

Understanding the UNESCO Cultural & Creative Industries Classification  South Africa’s Cultural and Creative Industries require clear policy direction on how the sector should be classified and coordinated, particularly whether government structures and programmes should operate through broad sector domains or through more specific subsectors within those domains. This decision is important because classification shapes how the sector is organised, supported and measured.  A domain-based approach may encourage coordination across related cultural activities such as performance, audio-visual media, design and heritage, while a subsector approach may provide more focused attention to the specific needs of individual industries. However, the absence of a clear framework risks creating confusion in policy implementation, funding allocation and sector governance, making it essential for South Africa to define how its Cultural and Creative Industries domains are structured. Why ...

Sector Clusters Must Not Repeat the Mistakes of the Past By Thami akaMbongo Manzana  The recent announcement by Gayton McKenzie and the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture (DSAC) regarding the launch of 17 Cultural and Creative Industries sector clusters at the end of the financial year has raised more questions than answers within the cultural sector. While the intention to reorganise and strengthen representation in the Cultural and Creative Industries (CCI) may appear progressive, the lack of clarity around the process is beginning to generate concern among practitioners across the country. At present, several fundamental issues remain unanswered. It is unclear when the terms of the current sector councils are coming to an end , and there has been no clear communication about how the proposed Provincial Interim Structures will function or what mandate they will carry once these sector clusters are launched. Without transparency on these critical aspects, the process risks a...

  A Reflection on Minister Gayton McKenzie’s CCI Sector Clusters Narrative On 4 March 2026 , the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture hosted a media briefing at Freedom Park in Pretoria where Minister Gayton McKenzie and Deputy Minister Peace Mabe addressed several matters within the department’s portfolio. The agenda included issues such as VAR, WAFCON, LIV Golf, Formula 1, the National Language Summit, Robben Island, the Venice Biennale, and the launch of Cultural and Creative Industries (CCI) Sector Clusters. However, one thing became immediately clear during the briefing: approximately 90% of the discussion centred on sport , leaving Arts and Culture to occupy the margins of the conversation. For a department tasked equally with the stewardship of Sport, Arts and Culture , the imbalance was not just noticeable—it was symbolic. For those working within the Cultural and Creative Industries (CCI) , the most striking moment came when the Minister attempted to explain the rationale...