The Cultural Industries Growth Strategy (cigs) the South African Publishing Industry Report

This report was commissioned by DACST to research the cultural industries and to propose strategies for their growth and development. This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the Department or the Ministry of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology but will be used to inform future policy formulation. FOREWORD South Africa's diverse and dynamic arts and culture heritage is one of its richest and most important resources, with the capacity to generate significant economic and social benefits for the nation. Equally important, but less well understood, is the potential for a vibrant and dynamic arts and culture sector to contribute significantly to the economy of the country. The Department of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology (DACST) is contributing to the government's Growth, Employment and Redistribution (GEAR) strategy through a number of initiatives intended to enhance the economic and social benefits of arts and culture. The Cultural Industries Growth Strategy (CIGS) is one such initiative and has concentrated on developing strategies for the growth and development of the cultural industries, in particular to realise their potential to create an export market and to create employment. DACST appointed the Cultural Strategy Group, a multidisciplinary consortium, to undertake the research and policy aspects of the study. The team included KPMG, the Centre for African Transformation (CART), LMA/SQW policy and research consultants and BDM consulting. This report was commissioned by DACST to research the cultural industries and to propose strategies for their growth and development. This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the Department or the Ministry of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology but will be used to inform future policy formulation. The term " cultural industries " is used to describe a wide variety of cultural activities which all have commercial organisation as their prime motivating force. These activities take a number of different forms and are organised in different ways from the manufacture or creation of products to the marketing and distribution thereof. The cultural industries which CSG concentrated on included: the music industry; the craft industry, publishing industry and the film and television industry. Their selection was based on a number of criteria including the recognition that these sectors were identifiable industries in South Africa; are potentially internationally competitive; have the potential to create employment and offer opportunities for rural and urban job creation. The cultural industries tend to be: n knowledge intensive, involving highly skilled workers n …