Creative and Cultural Industries

This publication explores the African fashion industry and an initiative by the African Development Bank to support it. The fashion industry is a major player in Africa, holding immense potential for job creation, particularly for women and young people. However, the industry also faces challenges such as limited access to funding and low production capacity. The African Development Bank's Fashionomics Africa program helps fashion businesses with training, investment, and finding new markets.

This report examines the role of the apparel industry in developing countries for women's economic empowerment. While the industry has brought more women into the formal workforce, the report argues it's not enough. It focuses on seven countries and explores how these nations can leverage the garment sector as a springboard for women's career advancement. The report emphasizes the need for additional policies to break down barriers that prevent women from reaching higher-paying jobs and staying in the workforce long-term. The goal is to move women beyond just having jobs to having fulfillin

This report identifies the main trends and challenges that are shaping the fashion, textile, and fine crafts sector in Africa in order to provide evidence-based policy recommendations for sustainable growth.

High school students in Uganda are tackling plastic pollution with creativity and business savvy. Through the Asante Africa Foundation's program, they learned leadership and entrepreneurship skills. Now, they're using recycled plastic to create and sell artwork, transforming waste into income. Their "Together as One Initiative" aims not only to clean up their community but also to empower others through education and sustainable solutions.

This S4YE Note analyzes the importance of the fashion industry for socio-economic growth and examines its potential as a source of job opportunities for young people. It discusses jobs along the industry’s value chain, its contribution to global revenues and trade, and its evolution with changes in technology, environmental concerns, and changing consumption patterns. The note also highlights the skills required for jobs in the fashion industry and presents analysis to support the claim that the industry is a key driver of jobs for youth and women.

This publication aims to inspire international development organisations, affected ministries such as ministries of economic affairs and ministries of culture, and the private sector to explore and implement initiatives that support the cultural and creative industries as an effective means of contributing to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in particular SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) and SDG 6 (Gender Equality). I extend my deepest gratitude to everyone who has contributed to this publication. Be inspired and enjoy the read!

Engaging in the Cultural and Creative Industries (CCI) as international development cooperation (DC) organisation involves navigating a dynamic and multifaceted landscape. This guide provides a comprehensive framework to assist organisations in understanding and analysing the CCI and in planning, implementing, and evaluating initiatives that contribute to the sustainable development of the CCI. It aims to assist international DC organisations to collaborate effectively with creative communities worldwide and implement projects successfully.

This short report summarizes a Creative Economy Alliance (CEA) webinar hosted by the Cultural and Creative Industries global project (implemented by GIZ and the Goethe-Institut on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development) and the World Bank’s Solutions for Youth Employment (S4YE) Project. The webinar focused on using international cooperation to drive gender equality within the creative economy.

Hollywood actors were on strike over concerns about the use of AI, but for as little as $300, Meta and a company called Realeyes hired them to make avatars appear more human.

This Discussion Note is part of the S4YE series focusing on the design and implementation of youth employment programs. The Note focuses on the creative and cultural industries and delves into how the advent of disruptive technology is likely to transform businesses, create new jobs and change the nature of existing ones that are part of creative and cultural industries. The Note discusses three main types of technologies that are increasingly being adapted across creative economy sectors: Artificial intelligence (AI), Cloud and Blockchain, Augmented and Virtual
Reality (AR/VR).