05/01/2026
We have been evaluating the implementation of Zimbabwe's National Cultural and Creative Industries Strategy over the last 5 years (from 2020-2025) with support from the Culture Fund of Zimbabwe Trust and the EU Delegation to Zimbabwe under the Creative Actions 2 programme.
We noted some positive implementation developments such as:
o Growth of cultural markets through festivals and diaspora engagement facilitated by government and private sector.
o Increased IP awareness and training initiatives especially by the National Arts Council of Zimbabwe.
o Expanded arts education and digital adoption in donor-funded projects including projects by government.
o Participation in regional/global cultural platforms (e.g., Venice Biennale, Dubai Expo) through government facilitation.
We also noted some persistent gaps:
o Market development is largely driven by independent promoters, not government. Most of the feedback that we got from CCIs practitioners is that CCIs are a dynamic engine for economic growth, job creation, and innovation. They also prove significant social benefits such as enriching national branding and identity and fostering social cohesion, peace through intercultural dialogue. This sector faces unique challenges in accessing local and international markets that require strategic government intervention to unlock its full potential.
o Weak IP enforcement, as a result piracy remain rampant.
o Funding is inadequate and poorly coordinated; Arts Development Fund is largely unknown. This fund has not made open calls for support and most creatives only hear about disbursed funds but they do not know the fund's structures and criteria for selecting beneficiaries.
o Cultural infrastructure is weak and outdated. Lack of fit-for purpose cultural infrastructure both in urban and rural areas weakens cultural participation, access and markets development. The manner in which audiences experience cultural activities within the proper cultural spaces differs from how they experience it in general purpose spaces. Cultural infrastructure adds value to the artistic and cultural experience.
o Limited industry linkage and ecosystem development- CCIs are recognised as the foundation for a mixed economy where the broader economy leverage the talent and content generated in a wider cultural ecosystem and contribute towards key areas such as innovation in product design and delivery, creative urbanism and climate justice. CCIs ecosystems are enhanced through weaving and supporting a complex network of crafts, visual arts, audio-visual, film, music, fashion & design, publishing, heritage etc) and their enablers (policy, education, information and communication technologies, financial resources) that generate economic value and social impact through creativity and cultural content, forming interconnected value chains for innovation, jobs, and sustainable development. It goes beyond creative businesses to include their entire environment—value chains, enablers, suppliers, distributors, educators, investors, policymakers, audiences, and consumers—that allows these industries to thrive.
o Fragmented data systems hinder evidence-based policy-making as ZimStats has not yet created a National Account for CCIs
o Governance laws are misaligned with the strategy and inter-ministerial coordination with key ministries is weak.
All these issues need to be collectively addressed by the diverse stakeholders in the CCIs to improve on the implementation of the National CCIs strategy in the remining 5 years!
At 63 participants attended Arterial Network Zimbabwe's CCIs workshop held on 27 and 28 November 2025 at Theatre in the Park in Harare.
Sostain Moyo Intwasa ARTS Festival koBULAWAYO Culture at Work Africa Arterial Network Arterial Network Nigeria V.A.A.B. Visual Artists' Association of Bulawayo Savanna Trust
