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From fashion to music, virality is no longer enough. Kafilat Awotayo and Dowe Biyere explain how education, partnerships, and peer collaboration can build sustainable creative businesses and careers.
From Burna Boy selling out stadiums to South African designers collaborating with Nike, Africa’s creative industries are enjoying an unprecedented moment of global recognition. But behind the headlines, many insiders are warning of a quieter crisis: without stronger business literacy, the creative boom may not be sustainable.
While the world celebrates the “Afrobeats to the world” narrative, too many African creatives are still navigating the industry without the basic skills needed to protect their work. Exploitative contracts, unpaid brand campaigns, and lost funding opportunities are common symptoms of a system that celebrates talent but overlooks structure.
“Talent is never the issue,” says Kafilat Awotayo, founder of YELLOW, a creative consultancy. “The issue is structure. Careers are being built on hype, not on systems. And when the hype fades, many creatives find themselves unprotected.”
The risks are real. A promising Nigerian musician signs a viral record deal but unknowingly forfeits his publishing rights. A Ghanaian fashion designer loses a major European grant because she can’t produce a financial forecast. A young photographer in Nairobi lands a campaign with an international brand but never gets paid, simply because he didn’t invoice properly.
One can argue that creative business education could be the difference between fleeting visibility and long-term viability. “What we need are systems that equip creatives not just to perform, but to own their work and chart their futures,” Awotayo explains. Through Creatives in Common, a creative incubator under YELLOW, she’s building a curriculum for creatives with creative business to thrive.
For Dowe Biyere, Co-Founder of Sygnal Music & Label Manager West Africa at The Orchard, the path forward also lies in the power of partnerships, not only between Africa and the global stage, but within the creative community itself.
“Collaboration is a survival tool,” Dowe says. “We’ve seen how peer-to-peer partnerships, artists pooling resources to shoot videos, photographers and stylists co-creating campaigns, producers swapping skills can amplify opportunities when money or access is limited. On a larger scale, partnerships with brands, platforms, and institutions can give creatives stability and visibility. But the real breakthrough comes when both types of partnerships work together.”
He emphasizes that creatives often underestimate the power of collective strength. “No one builds alone. In an economy as unpredictable as this, leaning you on peers is just as important as chasing big corporate deals.”
Tips for Building in the Creative Ecosystem
Both Kafilat and Dowe agree that Africa’s creative economy won’t grow sustainably without creatives taking ownership of their careers. Here, they respond to some of the most pressing questions young talents face:
How important are contracts, even with friends or peers?
Dowe: I’d say contracts are very important, even when it’s with friends or peers. At the end of the day, it’s not about mistrust, it’s about clarity. A contract protects both sides by clearly outlining expectations, responsibilities, and benefits. Friendships can get complicated if money or creative ownership comes into play, and having things in writing avoids misunderstandings down the line. It keeps the relationship safe and professional, so that even if challenges come up, everyone has a reference point to fall back on.
Kafilat: I think contracts actually build more trust when everyone knows what they’re signing up for. I tell people: contracts aren’t about distrust, they’re about clarity. Even in community driven projects, you need to define roles and rights. For me, anyone that’s not talking contracts from the jump is a red flag.
What’s the first step towards financial literacy for a creative?
Kafilat: Track what’s going in and what’s going out, follow the numbers. Everything is in the numbers.
Dowe: I think the first step towards financial literacy for creatives is awareness. Once you see the numbers clearly, it’s easier to budget, save, and plan.
How should creatives approach collaboration?
Dowe: Creatives should approach collaboration with openness and growth. Openness in the sense of being willing to share ideas, explore new perspectives, and let the other person’s strengths shine. Growth is also an important way to approach collaboration because it’s not only about the end product, but also about what you learn and gain along the way. Every collaboration is an opportunity to stretch yourself.
Kafilat: Collaboration for me is survival. When I started YELLOW, it was all peer-to-peer, my friends and I leveraged each other's resources to build footprint and for me the lesson is the same at every level: collaboration multiplies your reach and resources when you approach it with openness and strategy.
Why does protecting intellectual property matter so much?
Kafilat: Ownership is everything. Without IP protection, you can lose control of your life’s work. Register your songs, designs, or films, and understand your rights before signing them away.”
Dowe: Protecting intellectual property matters because it safeguards the value of your creativity. As a creative, your ideas, music, designs, or content are your currency; they’re what you bring into the world that nobody else can replicate in the same way. IP protection ensures you maintain ownership, benefit from your hard work, and have the freedom to decide how your creations are used. It’s really about respecting your craft and securing your future.
What’s the long-term mindset creatives should adopt?
Dowe: The long-term mindset creatives should adopt is one of consistency, adaptability, and ownership. Consistency, because growth rarely happens overnight, it’s about showing up and building step by step. Adaptability, because the industry keeps changing, and the ability to evolve with it is what keeps you relevant. And ownership, because thinking long-term means treating your art like a business, protecting your rights, and creating structures that let your work sustain you for years, not just in the moment.
Kafilat: Think beyond yourself. Your career isn’t just about your next song or show, it’s about the community you build and the systems you leave behind.
Africa's creative economy stands at a crossroads. The talent has always been here, the global attention is finally catching up. But visibility without sustainability is just another form of exploitation. The next generation of African creatives would be celebrated for more than their art. They'll be respected for their business acumen, protected by their contracts, and sustained by the systems they build. That shift won't happen by accident. It requires education, collaboration, and a willingness to treat creativity not just as passion, but as a profession. As Kafilat puts it: "The work is about building something that lasts beyond the moment." And in an industry that moves fast,that's the real foundation for sustainable growth.
