There’s no doubt Africa’s music is already shaping global culture. From Afrobeats to Amapiano, sounds from across the continent are filling dance floors, influencing artists worldwide, and reaching audiences far beyond their countries of origin.
As the sector expands, live event systems and spaces need to keep pace, too. Large-scale concerts depend on skilled crews, production companies, equipment suppliers, designers, and security teams working together to deliver complex productions.
Move Afrika is designed to support that network. The live music and culture series tours across African cities while partnering with local vendors, artists, and production teams. The goal is simple: deliver high-quality live experiences while strengthening local industries so cities can keep doing it long after the concert’s over.
Because building an industry isn’t just about hosting events — it’s about supporting the people and businesses behind them.
The Economy Behind the Stage
When people imagine concerts, they usually focus on the performer. But behind every show is a wide network of professionals who make it happen. Production crews set up stages and lighting rigs. Sound engineers operate audio systems. Designers create visual elements for the stage. Security teams help keep audiences and artists safe. Transport companies move equipment across the city.
And that’s just to get the concert started. Videographers record the event, stylists and dancers enhance the performances, and local artisans embed cultural elements into the design to make the stage come to life. Essentially, a live music event needs a broad network of skills, services, and businesses.
By collaborating with local partners in these roles, Move Afrika helps build a supply chain. Companies can reinvest in equipment and staff, raising standards and making future events easier to deliver.
Building Skills Through Experience
At the inaugural Move Afrika event in Kigali, Rwanda, in 2023, over 1,000 Rwandans gained hands-on concert experience, with 75% of the crew and production staff hired locally.
Creative collaboration was also built into the production itself. Artisans from the Nyamirambo Women’s Center created traditional Agaseke peace baskets that were incorporated into the event’s lighting design — a practical example of how local creative work can be commissioned and integrated into large-scale productions.
In 2025, Move Afrika also partnered with the Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator to support young people with professional development and real-world exposure to how major events are delivered, from coordination and logistics to media production. By training young professionals with hands-on experience, the partnership helps create clearer career entry points into the live events economy.
The model expanded in Lagos, Nigeria, where Move Afrika was delivered with a 90% local crew and more than 95% locally sourced equipment, drawing on the depth of the city’s technical production market.
Together, these examples show how live events can deliver more than a single night of entertainment — they can strengthen capacity and make repeat productions easier over time.
Culture and Opportunity
Across the continent, the creative sector is an increasingly important source of entrepreneurship and employment. Music, film, fashion, and digital content are all generating new economic opportunities for young people.
Alongside live performances, the Move Afrika platform also brings attention to broader development priorities. Move Afrika has partnered with communities to spotlight access to primary healthcare and the importance of strong health systems. By creating a space to connect culture with public engagement, these events bring together entertainment, conversation, and collaboration.
Expanding the Touring Circuit
Move Afrika was first launched with a long-term vision to build a touring circuit that connects cities across the continent. The initiative aims to continue expanding across Africa over the coming years and support a growing network that enables artists to tour more regularly across the continent. Stronger, consistent routes make it easier for artists to perform in multiple locations while also investing in venues, production companies, and technical talent.
Move Afrika 2026 takes another step in that journey, with events planned in Kigali, Rwanda, and, for the first time ever, Pretoria, South Africa.
Building an Industry Together
Music has long been a source of cultural influence and creative innovation, and that’s no exception across Africa. What’s expanding now is the infrastructure allowing that creativity to travel across cities, borders, and industries further than ever.
As more artists tour the continent and more cities host large-scale productions, the opportunities delivered are both cultural and economic. Live music supports jobs, strengthens creative businesses, and encourages new investment in production, venues, and talent.
The long-term vision behind Move Afrika is clear. When the people who bring that vision to life are the communities where these events take place, the impact lasts long after the final encore.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.globalcitizen.org ’
