Why Joburg’s entertainment hub still gives you the biggest head start

Approximately half of South Africa’s creative economy output is generated in Gauteng. Within that, Johannesburg carries the bulk of the load. By some estimates, more than 70% of the country’s film and television activity is based here, with some reports putting that figure as high as 85%.

Living in the production value chain

On the post-production side, Johannesburg has a mature ecosystem that can take raw footage and deliver a finished product of international quality. On the broadcast side, the major institutional players are headquartered in Johannesburg. The SABC, MultiChoice and its Showmax platform, Primedia, eMedia Investments, and others shape much of what the country sees and hears every day, and they do it from this city. We also have an international footprint through Canal+ (following its acquisition of MultiChoice) and CNBC Africa.

Music tells a similar story. The major labels (Universal, Sony, and Warner Music Africa) have their South African and often continental headquarters in Johannesburg.

More recently, you can see the industry’s health in unlikely places. A decade ago, commercial real estate in Sandton, the richest square mile in Africa, was dominated by law firms, consultancies, and financial institutions. Today, you increasingly find content production offices and studios occupying that same high-value space. That tells you something about the confidence and capital now associated with media and entertainment in Johannesburg.

So, where does the Academy of Sound Engineering (ASE) fit into all of this?

Physically, we sit inside and alongside the SABC in Auckland Park. The majority of our campus square meterage is in SABC buildings. Industrially, we see ourselves as the industry's training and development arm.

When broadcasters or production houses knock on our door, it is usually for one of three reasons. They are looking for critical skills they cannot easily source elsewhere, upskilling existing staff, or access to emerging creative and business talent.

Thanks to burgeoning long-term relationships with organisations like SABC, Primedia, eMedia (including YFM), MultiChoice, Universal Music Publishing, Downtown Music Publishing Africa, and Gearhouse, we have moved beyond the occasional internship. We are now providing them with talent pipelines.

Proximity, relationships, and timing

Ideally, as an industry, we would like to see opportunities distributed more equitably across the country. For now, the reality remains that Johannesburg is the engine room of the sector. If you are serious about working in media and entertainment, physical proximity to that engine is a strategic advantage. It brings you closer to the work, to the decision-makers, and to the informal networks that still play a significant role in who gets the call.

That does not mean there is nothing you can do from outside the hub. We live in a digital age. Short courses, online programmes, and self-driven learning through tutorials, journals, and open educational resources can all help to build your skills. At the same time, you prepare to move closer to the centre. At ASE, for example, our short courses are accessible from the age of 16, and we are expanding our online offerings to give students on the fringes a credible access point. We also work with accommodation providers around Auckland Park to make relocation as seamless as possible when the time comes.

Why the hub still matters

Of course, studying in South Africa’s entertainment hub does not guarantee success. But it does place you inside the geography and the relationships that are driving the sector’s current growth.

For many of our students, that daily proximity is what turns a career in media and entertainment from an abstract dream into a concrete, navigable path. With the right training, relationships, and personal initiative, the hub is not just where you study; it is where your career begins.

Mzi Kaka is a lecturer at The Academy of Sound Engineering. The opinions and views expressed herein are solely his own and do not reflect the position or stance of the publication.