“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair.”
This phrase has been taken from the famous opening paragraph of Charles Dickens’ novel, A Tale of Two Cities.
Watching RMB Starlight Classics, which rocked Johannesburg on Saturday night, firmly brought this quote to mind as it celebrated the best of the creative economy.
A diverse ray of talent was shown with artist such as: Vusi Nova, a multi-platinum selling and award-winning Afro-Soul singer.
Belinda Davids, Internationally acclaimed vocalist and Britain’s Got Talent semifinalist.
Mzansi Tenors. Carmen Pretorius, an international musical theatre performer. The Drakensberg Boys Choir. Pendo Masote, a gifted young violinist conducted by his dad Kutlwano Masote. Moving into Dance Mophatong, a dance firm. Vuvu Mpofu, an illustrious classical South African soprano as well as Magical Phoenix Co Orchestra.
Maestro Richard Cock strutted his stuff and displayed what it meant to be a national treasure.
Taking to the stage to open the event was the new CEO of RMB, Emrie Brown, who glittered in a gold-sequinned top, and gave voice to how RMB supports the creative economy.
It broke the frost of the hardships of Covid-19 and celebrated the Spring-green shoots of recovery, not only for artists but for the economy and the wealth of talent we harbour within our beautiful shores and should invest in more.
This as South Africans struggle with the high cost of living amid a moribund economy, aggravated by the drawn-out Ukraine-Russia war, which has destabilised the macro-economic global economy with the ripple effects felt all over the globe.
It comes after a two-year bleak period of Covid-10 as colleagues and loved ones breathed their last breaths and the national lockdowns acted as a financial wrecking ball, leaving many out in the cold, struggling to survive.
It has also been a hard, long walk to positivity in the recovery of a nation as we knew it, pre-Covid.
One that feels like baby steps with one step forward and two steps back. And also as The Zondo Commission exposed the rotten elements in SA Inc.
However, recent arrests of the likes of Transnet’s looters in the shape of Brian Molefe and Co bring hopes of a greater holding to account.
But as September brings Spring, the concert last night, with an overflowing cup of brilliance, shone a light on the depth of South Africa’s true wealth -- its people with many hues and talents.
Yet, of all the business sectors thrown in to financial distress amid Covid, it has been recognised that the Cultural and Creative Industries (CCIs) was one of the most effected, with many artists and performers being informal workers, thus unable to lean on government financial support grants during this horrendous period.
This was highlighted after, the South African Cultural Observatory (Saco) in March, released its 2022 Economic Mapping Report of the Cultural and Creative Industries -- the first comprehensive study of the contribution of the cultural and creative sector to the economy in the post Covid-19 environment.
Saco calculated that 95% of creative professionals surveyed had their work either cancelled or indefinitely postponed amid Covid-19.
The research also showed that CCIs made up almost 3% of South Africa's economy; the creative economy accounted for 6% of all jobs in South Africa, which translated into just under one million jobs.
At the time Unathi Lutshaba, Saco Executive Director said, “In the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic, the creative economy needs more than just a recovery plan. We need a re-set that frames and maps a more sustainable and inclusive future for the industry.
“On one hand the Covid-19 crisis has negatively impacted the sector in a significant manner, and on the other, technology continues to change and redefine the landscape for all industries in ways not seen before,” Lutshaba said.
And as artists took to the stage at RMB Starlight Classics, it is perhaps significant that last week, President Cyril Ramaphosa gave the green light for the merger of Brand SA and SA Tourism.
After all, tourism and the arts go hand in hand and showcase the best that South Africa has to offer. With South Africa’s massive tourism potential and bountiful talent, perhaps Lutshaba’s call can be fast tracked.
Tshifhiwa Tshivhengwa, the CEO of the Tourism Business Council of SA, said the merger Brand SA and SA Tourism could help smooth the path towards much-needed investment by avoiding duplication and creating a more organised impression.
If anything, South Africans need to dream more, to be innovative and have national pride that can be revived by the talents of the creative economy. It needs a bit of the dazzle factor and starlight.
Last month, the Happiness Index was released by the Bureau of Market Research for June 2022, which showed that the levels of happiness in South Africa have plummeted and confidence was at an all-time low.
The Happiness Index showed that unhappiness levels with both the economic and political climate have increased from 54.9 points and 62.0 points respectively in 2014, to 74.3 points and 77.4 points respectively in 2022.
However, as I watched RMB’s Starlight Classics this weekend, despite my household bills mounting, the despair at the fuel pump, the anger at Eskom, my happiness levels were at an all-time high.
In our creative economy, there is hope for a better, more investable South Africa.
BUSINESS REPORT