Stakeholders in the fashion and arts sectors champion greater intra-African trade and collaboration among entrepreneurs. The African Fashion & Arts Awards (AFAA) highlights the imperative to support and honor the creative forces behind Africa’s booming fashion and arts industries.
Kingsley Amako, Founder and President of AFAA, underscores the significance of youth in the creative sphere, constituting over 65% of Africa’s population. He emphasizes that fashion and arts wield remarkable potential for revenue generation, significantly impacting the continent’s GDP. Even amid technological advancements, the textile and apparel sector remains one of the world’s leading revenue generators in developing economies, second only to agriculture.
Amako emphasizes that the focus on fashion and art creatives is a strategic move. The upcoming third anniversary of AFAA, slated for December 1 to 3, 2023 at the Abuja Continental Hotel, aligns with this vision. Additionally, a media tour is planned in East African countries, including Tanzania, Kenya, and Rwanda on October 6, 10, and 13, 2023 respectively.
This tour tradition, established in 2021 in South Africa, continued in 2022 in Cairo, Egypt, and now extends to three vibrant East African nations. The AFAA 2023 has garnered support from notable organizations such as the African Union, African Development Bank, AfCFTA, AFREXIMBANK, and the Bank of Industry. These institutions express a keen interest in nurturing creativity, debunking the misconception that this support is solely reserved for the music and film industries.
