Strathmore University Business School and The Burns Brothers have announced a landmark partnership aimed at transforming Africa’s creative industries into a major driver of economic growth and job creation.

The collaboration will establish the Creative Economy Africa Institute, a Pan-African platform designed to unlock the continent’s creative and cultural industries as engines of economic transformation.

The partners say the initiative aims to help create one million jobs across Africa by 2035 by equipping creative entrepreneurs, strengthening industry ecosystems and building stronger links between Africa and global markets.

According to the UNESCO, Africa’s creative economy has the potential to generate more than $20 billion in annual revenues and create over 20 million jobs, making it one of the continent’s most promising growth sectors.

Despite Africa’s growing influence in music, film, fashion, sports, technology, media, gaming, tourism and entertainment, the continent currently captures only a small share of the global creative economy.

The partnership was unveiled during a meeting attended by Caesar Mwangi and Mike Burns alongside John Burns and other industry leaders.

The discussions highlighted the need for stronger platforms, ecosystem infrastructure and cross-continental partnerships capable of converting Africa’s creative momentum into scalable economic opportunities.

The Institute’s first initiative will be the launch of Creative Economy 101, a digital learning programme initially developed for Kenya before expanding across Africa.

The course will introduce creators, entrepreneurs, students, policymakers and business leaders to the economics, business models and infrastructure underpinning Africa’s creative industries.

Organisers say the programme will become Africa’s first Pan-African certification course focused specifically on the economic architecture and emerging opportunities within the continent’s creative economy.

Its digital-first approach is expected to increase accessibility and allow participants across Africa to acquire knowledge and skills required to compete in global creative markets.

Beyond training, the partnership will focus on mentorship, experiential learning, applied research and Africa-United States knowledge exchange aimed at accelerating regional development and international connectivity.

The Burns Brothers will contribute practitioner-led expertise in ecosystem building, platform development and international partnerships, complementing Strathmore’s academic and research capabilities.

The partners say the initiative marks a turning point for Africa’s creative industries by combining academic excellence, industry experience and Pan-African collaboration to position the continent as a global leader in creativity, innovation and intellectual property ownership.

The launch of the Creative Economy Africa Institute comes amid growing recognition that Africa’s creative economy represents one of the continent’s most investable and scalable sectors, with significant potential to drive inclusive growth and employment.

By strengthening creative ecosystems and supporting entrepreneurs, the initiative aims to ensure African creators and businesses can compete globally while shaping the future of culture, innovation and commerce.

This article was first published here.