The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat, in partnership with the Government of Ghana and Africa Tourism Partners, is set to launch a defining moment for the continent’s creative economy as it hosts the inaugural AfCFTA Forum and Festival on Tourism, Creative, and Cultural Industries, branded Creatives Connect Afrika.

The event will take place from Monday, November 24 to Wednesday, November 26, 2025, at the La Palm Royal Beach Hotel in Accra, Ghana.

Held under the auspices of John Dramani Mahama, President of the Republic of Ghana, and the leadership of Wamkele Mene, Secretary-General of the AfCFTA Secretariat, the forum is designed to strategically transition Africa’s creative sector, particularly Film, Music, and Fashion industries from cultural forces into high-value pillars of continental trade and investment.

The Tripartite Partnership: Architects of Continental Integration
The “Creatives Connect Afrika” forum is underpinned by a powerful three-way partnership, each organisation contributing a vital element to the event’s success:

The AfCFTA Secretariat functions as the project’s policy engine, leveraging its position as the custodian of the continent’s single market to integrate the creative industries into the formal trade architecture.

Its core mandate is to operationalise key protocols – such as those on Trade in Services, IPR, and Digital Trade – to dismantle existing cross-border barriers and provide the structural foundation for the estimated $50 billion creative sector to become a core driver of Africa’s industrialisation.

The Black Star Experience (BSE) Secretariat serves as the national anchor and cultural champion, confirming the Government of Ghana’s deep commitment to the sector.

This flagship initiative, with a vision to Transform Ghana into Africa’s Culture Capital and inject US$5 billion into the economy by 2027, ensures the continental dialogue is rooted in a dedicated national framework. The BSE’s co-hosting role guarantees that the forum’s outcomes directly support Ghana’s strategy to generate jobs and global influence through three of its cultural pillars – Film, Music, and Fashion.

Africa Tourism Partners (ATP) acts as the strategic and commercial facilitator, specializing in investment promotion and business events (MICE). ATP’s primary role is to ensure the forum operates as a viable tourism and investment marketplace by designing the high-impact Business-to-Business (B2B) and Matchmaking Sessions.

They establish the necessary commercial infrastructure, utilising tourism to foster a synergy between travel and commerce that accelerates continental deals for creative entrepreneurs.

AfCFTA: Policy Meets Prosperity
For the AfCFTA Secretariat, the Forum provides a crucial platform to operationalise the agreement’s protocols, particularly on Trade in Services, Investment, and Intellectual Property Rights (IPR).

Mrs. Emily Mburu-Ndoria, Director, Trade in Services, Investment, Intellectual Property Rights and Digital Trade at the AfCFTA Secretariat, has been instrumental in working with the government and private sector partners to organise the maiden edition of the continent-wide event in Ghana.

“For too long, the immense cultural value created in Lagos, Dakar, Nairobi, and Cairo has struggled to traverse African borders due to fragmented policies and prohibitive laws and regulations,” explained Ms. Mburu-Ndoria. “

Creatives Connect Afrika is the intervention point. It is where policymakers and creatives sit down to unlock movement and mobility for artists, and establish financial instruments that understand and invest in creative intellectual property.” She commended Ghana for partnering the AfCFTA Secretariat to host this very important event.

A Presidential Mandate for Creative Trade

The co-hosting role by Ghana, facilitated through the Black Star Experience Secretariat, confirms the national priority placed on the creative economy.

Mr. Rex Owusu Marfo (Rex Omar), the Presidential Staffer for The Black Star Experience Secretariat at the Office of the President, confirmed the national commitment to turning cultural influence into economic reality, noting the collaborative efforts by his office, the AfCFTA Secretariat and the Africa Tourism Partners to bring this maiden edition of the Creatives Connect Africa to life.

“The Black Star Experience is a deliberate strategy to position Ghana as the continent’s leading creative and cultural hub. Creatives Connect Afrika, hosted in collaboration with the AfCFTA, and ATP allows us to take this vision continental,” stated Mr. Owusu Marfo.

He added, “Our youth are generating globally dominant cultural exports.
Our duty now is to provide the continental policy plumbing and financial structures necessary for these creators to trade seamlessly across Africa’s 1.4 billion-person market.”

Tourism as the Gateway to Trade
The third partner, Africa Tourism Partners (ATP), views the festival as the perfect synergy between travel, tourism, heritage, and commerce.
Mr. Kwakye Donkor, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Africa Tourism Partners, noted how the event will use tourism infrastructure to facilitate creative trade.

“Tourism is the most immediate way to monetize cultural experiences. By integrating the Forum with a high-calibre Festival, we are creating a reason for investors, buyers, and general travellers to come to Ghana and spend,” said Mr. Donkor. “We are building the travel and logistics pipeline necessary to support the creative value chain.”

Forum and Festival Programme Overview

The three-day Creatives Connect Afrika Forum and Festival features a rich blend of masterclasses, policy dialogues, business matchmaking, and cultural showcases. Day One is dedicated to industry-led Masterclasses in Film, Fashion, Music, and Fintech, delivered by leading experts from across Africa. Sessions focus on strengthening the creative value chain, intellectual property, digital distribution, financing, and intra-African market access under the AfCFTA.

Day Two features the Official Opening Ceremony, with keynote addresses from high-level dignitaries including the His Excellency John Dramani Mahama, and His Excellency Wamkele Mene.

The day continues with thought-leadership panels on expanding Africa’s creative economy through tourism, digital innovation, and policy alignment. It also includes film screenings, cultural performances, and expert dialogues on unlocking investment opportunities in Film, Fashion, and Music.

The entire programme is designed to merge policy, commerce, and culture – connecting creatives, investors, policymakers, and industry leaders to drive trade, mobility, and economic growth across Africa’s creative and cultural industries.

The cultural centrepiece of the event includes the Creatives Connect Afrika Runway, a premium showcase for African fashion designers, and the grand finale Cultural Night & Musical Festival, where attendees are encouraged to wear traditional attire for an evening of electrifying performances to take place at the +233 Jazz Club in Accra.

Creatives Connect Afrika is positioned not just as a festival, but as the inaugural continental policy and marketplace platform designed to unlock the economic potential of Africa’s creative industries.