…as the first celebration of AFCFTA, Black Star, ATP in Accra
The 'Africa Rising' event couldn't come at a better time than now as the continent is set to showcase the best of its culture, fashion, music, film and tourism in a first-of-its-kind gathering.
From November 24-26, 2025, the continent will launch the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Forum and Festival on Tourism, Creative and Cultural Industries.
The much-awaited three-day event will be held in Accra, Ghana under the theme “Creatives Connect Africa”.
It is also an exciting development for Africa's creative economy and creators as the first pioneering program under AfCFTA will, most importantly, provide a real platform for the continent to engage in meaningful discussions, address barriers and identify practical solutions to unleash the full potential of its tourism, creative and cultural industries.
Again, the event is promising, given the caliber of the organisers: AfCFTA Secretariat, Black Star Experiences and African Tourism Partners (ATP).
While the AfCFTA Secretariat, established in 2020, administers and implements the AfCFTA agreement, shaping Africa into a single market and positioning the creative industries as a driver of growth, jobs and cultural exchanges, the Black Star Experience, on the other hand, is a strategic initiative under the Office of the President of Ghana, designed to position the country as Africa's leading cultural, tourism and creative hub. African Tourism Partners is a pan-African tourism advisory, strategy and investment facilitation firm based in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Also read: One Nation Reggae Festival: Sierra Leone in global spotlight for music, culture, tourism
With all the above, Africa is set for an exciting festival this November.
Already, the three organizers have outlined pre-festival activities, including the launch of the event across the continent, starting with AfCFTA and festival host Ghana.
So far, roadshows have taken place in Tamale, Kumasi and Accra in Ghana, while the Nigerian leg of the roadshow took place on October 31, 2025 at the Mövenpick Hotel Ikoyi, Lagos.
At the event, which was attended by stakeholders from the Nigerian creative industry, the organizers explained the festival's rationale, program lineup amid clearing gray areas for Nigerian audiences.
In her opening remarks at the Lagos event, Emily Mburu-Ndoria, Director of Services for Trade, Investment, Intellectual Property Rights and
Digital Trade, AfCFTA, said the Nigerian launch is a milestone for Africa's tourism, creative and cultural sectors, which include film, music, fashion, design, digital content, hotels and restaurants, tour guides, tour operators and other tourism services, not just industries.
“They are the heartbeat of our economies, the custodians of our heritage, the storytellers of our shared identity and the driving force for inclusion and innovation,” Mburu-Ndoria said.
“They represent our past, reflect our present, and, most importantly, are shaping the future of this continent”.
Explaining the rationale for focusing on creative industries, he said that under the AfCFTA Protocol on Trade in Services, tourism and cultural services are among the priority sectors for progressive liberalization. According to him, the above is no coincidence, as these sectors offer immense potential to contribute to economic growth, job creation, innovation, inclusion and social cohesion.
“They also serve as powerful bridges that connect Africa to itself and the world through the universal languages of culture, creativity and storytelling.”
Giving more reasons for AfCFTA's focus on creative industries, Mburu-Ndoria said Africa's creative and cultural economy is one of the fastest growing economies in the world.
He said, “Africa's film, music and fashion industries alone provide billions in potential revenue and millions of jobs for young people and women. The rise of Nollywood, South Africa's film sector, fashion hubs in Senegal, Ghana and Nigeria and the global influence of African music are testament to the transformative power of these industries.”
Giving details of the upcoming festivities, the AfCFTA Director said the programs are exciting and designed with ambition and purpose. “It will feature panel conversations with policymakers, creators and investors.
“It will include exhibitions showcasing Africa's film, music and fashion. It will provide training and masterclasses for young entrepreneurs, as well as business matchmaking opportunities to foster partnerships and investment.
“It will celebrate our culture through fashion shows, concerts and various cultural performances,” he revealed.
He also acknowledged the partners in the festival: Africa Tourism Partners and the Black Star Experience Secretariat, whose cooperation and vision, he said, have been crucial in bringing the festival to the point of reality.
They also missed the role of development partners, private sector artists and cultural practitioners, whose commitment and creativity will shape the further journey of the festival.
Speaking at the Lagos event, Kwaki Donkor, CEO of African Tourism Partners, revealed that ATP is partnering with the Festival because of its passion to bring the continent together despite the differences of its people and countries.
“We believe that if we pull this together, as a continent we can achieve a lot,” Donkor stressed.
Instead of complaining about the challenges, Donkor said Africans should look at and celebrate their areas of excellence, and according to him, one of the key areas of excellence in Africa is the creative industries, hence the reason for the November celebration is to further enhance this sector.
“We live, we sleep, and we live creatively. When we are happy, we dance; when we are sad, we still dance.”
“In Ghana, funerals become a celebration of life. It's the same in Nigeria. Weddings are the same.
He said, “But when these events are happening, the cameraman is always present. After the cameraman, we see people dressing up, especially our men. It is an opportunity to showcase our fashion, whether we are happy or unhappy.”
Donkor revealed that the three pillars: film, music and fashion, permeate our lives not just on screen but on a daily basis, all while the cameras keep rolling.
On the reason for the collaboration, the ATP CEO said: “AfCFTA and we have come together to ensure that we amplify the impact and appreciate the people who are part of this process, who are creating it and making it bigger. And that is our soft power as Africans.
“And that's why we'd like to work with you to make sure that happens.” Reminiscing, Donkor said the festival initiative began three years ago in Gaborone, Botswana, as part of ATP's African Tourism Leadership Forum, and now, like a child, has grown into a full-fledged festival.
He expressed his excitement to see this idea come to fruition as an initiative and now a festival, so he has a reason to invite Nigerian audiences to Accra to see this festival come to fruition.
On behalf of the Government and people of Ghana, the upcoming festival deserves every bit of support because of the massive benefits it will bring to the country and the continent at large.
In his remarks at the launch, Rex Owusu Marfo, Coordinator of The Black Star Experience, one of the three partners of the festival, revealed that his organization is an initiative of the President of Ghana aimed at re-branding Ghana through culture, arts and tourism.
According to Marfo, the partnership with the festival is timely as it aligns with the mandate of the Black Star Experience.
“The strategic partnership between the Black Star Experience Secretariat and the AfCFTA Secretariat represents a historic fusion of cultural impact and economic policy,” Marfo said.
According to him, the Black Star Experience fits into the celebration because of its overall objective of empowering Africa's creative sector.
Speaking further, he said the collaboration seeks to transform the continent's vast creative potential into tangible economic prosperity by leveraging the power of African artists.
When asked why he thinks the festival will be successful, he said his organization is the organizing body for the Black Star Experience, a prestigious and influential center based in Ghana that focuses on African music, arts and business. It attracts global expatriate audiences and services as a powerful platform for networking, celebration and economic engagement, so Marfo assured that his organization will work closely with others to make the first edition of the Festival a success.
Copyright lawyer Marfo noted some of the benefits of the gathering, including: formalizing the informal and training a significant portion of Africa's large informal sector into the formal, bankable economy.
This also includes moving creators from being mere artists to becoming savvy entrepreneurs who understand business, finance and intellectual property (I take the risk).
On the Nigerian side, Kingsley Uranta, CEO, Channels TV, Nigeria lauded the initiative, saying it is the platform Africa needs to develop, while Nigerian music icon and creative entrepreneur Dare Art Alade commended the organizers for the vigorous initiative and assured support.
Okorie Uguru, President, Association of Nigeria Journalists and Writers of Tourism (ANJET); Emmanuel Alle, CEO, Six Regions Hotels; Victor Enwezor, a tour operator; and Lucky George, Director of the African Travel Commission Ghana, all spoke well of the festival and urged for its sustainability.
As the continent awaits the celebration and organizers finalize their preparations, according to Mburu-Ndoria, AfCFTA hopes to achieve four things at the end of the three-day event.
These include: strengthening Africa's integration agenda; To provide capacity building and skill development for filmmakers, designers and musicians, enabling them to compete globally; To facilitate investment and partnerships and celebrate Africa's rich cultural diversity and creative excellence.
