Central Equatoria State Artist Association - CESAA

16/09/2026

South Sudanese singer and rapper Adam Yusif Lino, popularly known as Smart Boy South Sudan, says he is currently taking a step back from music to focus on building financial stability and supporting his family.

Smart Boy said the limited financial returns from music in South Sudan have pushed him to explore other opportunities, while stressing that he has not abandoned his music career.

Speaking on the Soundtrack show in Eye Radio the artist said he wants to build his own business empire and achieve financial freedom before returning to music with greater resources.
The artist also cited the lack of monetization opportunities on platforms such as YouTube and TikTok in South Sudan as a major challenge facing local musicians.

According to Smart Boy, artists often struggle to finance recording, music releases and quality video production, making it difficult for them to sustain their careers.
He said his current focus is on developing assets that can generate income, rather than relying entirely on music.

Despite the temporary shift in focus, Smart Boy maintained that music remains one of his biggest dreams and promised to return to the industry.
He also called for greater financial opportunities for South Sudanese artists, saying financial challenges remain one of the biggest obstacles to the growth of the country's music industry.


Cc: John Ocot

08/08/2026

We are moving forward

05/08/2026

Welcome back Smart Boy 🔥

04/06/2026

Congratulations 🎉🎈🍾 Smart Boy for this great achievement 🙏🙏

25/05/2026

Happiest birthday 🎂 Smart Boy aka Tembo🥂 our own secretary of ICT

24/03/2026

Togetherness for greatness
❤️

MINISTER BUSE MEETS WITH CENTRAL EQUATORIA STATE ARTIST ASSOCIATION

Juba, March 24, 2026 (CES - MCYS)

Hon. Minister Bush Buse met with the Central Equatoria State Artists Association to engage on the status of the association and the challenges hindering its development. The delegation was led by its interim chairperson, Mr. Agele Kennedy Joseph, also known as (AKJ)

The association outlined several concerns, including inadequate infrastructure such as the absence of entertainment centers and office space, lack of capacity-building initiatives, weak policy frameworks to guide and protect artistic work, and limited access to markets for artists to benefit from their creativity.

The Minister welcomed the concerns raised and emphasized the importance of strengthening policy development within Central Equatoria State to better support the arts sector. He assured the association of the ministry’s support and reaffirmed his commitment to working closely with them to advance the growth of arts and culture.

14/03/2026

On 10 March, we convened a validation meeting in Juba to review the preliminary findings of the on going Music Sector Mapping Study. The meeting brought together artists, producers, media practitioners, and representatives of arts associations to reflect on the emerging picture of the country’s music ecosystem and to validate the initial research observations.

We were honoured by the participation of the Director General for Culture, Youth and Sports of Central Equatoria State, Hon Emmanuel Ladu Kose, who emphasised on the role of the government as an enabler of the cultural and creative sector, reinstating that Central Equatoria State remains open to supporting policies and programmes that allow creatives to operate within a stronger and more functional cultural ecosystem.

We extend our appreciation to the Ministry of Culture, Museums and National Heritage , the Ministry of Culture, Youth & Sports-CES and the UNESCO South Sudan for their continued consultative support and engagement throughout this process.

South Sudan currently lacks structured data on the size, organisation, and value chains of its music sector. The documentation of the actors, challenges, and opportunities within the industry will support discussions on cultural policy and the broader development of the creative economy.

Insights shared during the validation meeting will now be incorporated into the final report.



Central Equatoria State Artist Association - CESAA