Africa Rising Music Conference set for May in Joburg

The conference is a female-led initiative that will focus on building bridges between African music, executives and the worldwide market. It will offer insights and innovative solutions through an exchange between African and international participants, which will prioritise independence and creativity to help in the development of the African music industry, both on the continent and internationally.

The all-female speaker line-up will include Tumi Mogapi (Women in Music, South Africa), Money Ba Doo (musician, South Africa), Anyiko Owoko (music publicist, Kenya), JAMIIE (Afro-house Beatport curator, Germany), Katja Ruge (Katja Ruge Photography and Music, Germany) and Dieuwertje Heuvelings (Dutch Music Export, Netherlands). 

Among the topics that will be explored are Amplifying Women’s Voices in the Music Business, Building Bridges Between Africa and Other Countries, and Understanding Revenue Models.   

“The aim of this programme is to empower and enable South African-based executives to successfully move into the international space as well as providing valuable insights and connections for international stakeholders looking to work and understand the African market or for those currently working in the territory from a distance,” AMRC publicist Bridgette Makhela said.

The event will feature music performances by Dutch artists Rimon, Bnnyhunna and Joya Mooi, with additional acts to be announced later.

“With the focused territory being the Netherlands, our international showcasing partner is Dutch Music Export who will be supporting 15 Dutch music professionals to participate in a trade delegation at the conference as well as bringing over four Dutch hip hop and R&B artists to perform at the live showcase events,” Makhela said. “It’s exciting to see something of this magnitude take place in Johannesburg. We’re looking forward to an informative and game-changing conference.”

Other ARMC partners include Women in Music South Africa, MTN Bushfire Festival, the Berlin Music Commission, and Hallmark Hotel.

Visit the ARMC official website for more information about the event. Participants can get tickets by registering here.