South Africa

South Africa, Maverick News

In the spotlight: The struggle to juggle fame and money in SA’s entertainment industry

Minister of Sport Gayton McKenzie during the swearing-in ceremony of the new national executive members at Cape Town International Convention Centre on July 03, 2024 in Cape Town, South Africa. The new National Executive constitutes the 7th Democratic Administration as a Government of National Unity comprising a diversity of political parties as an outcome of the national and provincial elections held on Wednesday, 29 May 2024. (Photo: Gallo Images / Brenton Geach)

By Michelle Banda

31 Jan 2025

South Africa’s entertainment industry dazzles audiences with its creativity, but for many creatives, the reality is far less glamorous. Despite government support programmes, industry players say they see little impact on their livelihoods.

“I hate it when I contribute towards funerals, helping artists in their deaths. I want to contribute to their livelihoods. We need to make sure that artists don’t need help when they die. As the minister, I can’t complain but must fix this. I am hard at work, and in the next few months, big announcements and big changes shall be seen in the lives of artists.”

Minister of Sports, Arts, and Culture Gayton McKenzie made this vow earlier this month, following the recent deaths of two industry trailblazers: legendary Kwaito artist Victor “Doc Shebeleza” Bogopane and singer-actress Winnie Khumalo.

Bogopane succumbed to complications from a pancreas blockage, having previously spoken about the financial hardships artists face, particularly in accessing medical aid. In an interview with News24, he revealed the struggles of being an artist in a precarious industry — so much so that he had shared his banking details in a plea for donations to cover medical costs. Khumalo, too, battled a long illness. Her daughter Rethabile Khumalo told Briefly News she had been sick these past years and would recover briefly, only to fall ill again.

South Africa’s creatives need more than posthumous praise

Despite these hardships, both artists were given “dignified” funerals. This bittersweet reality continues to define South Africa’s creative industry: public praise in death, but neglect in life.

The country’s entertainment industry is a powerhouse of storytelling, producing soapies, music, theatre, and literature that resonates globally. Yet, behind the glitz, many creatives — actors, musicians, and writers — struggle in a gig economy that offers little security or labor protection.

The Department of Sports, Arts, and Culture touts initiatives like the Silapha Wellness Programme, the Mzansi Golden Economy strategy, business skills training, relief funding, mentorship, and digital skills development. However, industry insiders who spoke to Daily Maverick say these programmes are either ineffective or largely unknown.

At the heart of the issue is South Africa’s Labour Relations Act, which defines “worker” and “employee” in a way that excludes many creatives from essential protections. For those relying on short-term contracts and multiple employers, financial stability remains elusive, making them particularly vulnerable in times of illness or economic downturn.

Gabriel “Gabi” le Roux, a veteran musician and producer of Mandoza’s most famous and top-selling work Nkalakatha, which was released in 2000, told Daily Maverick that he ventured into the music industry 48 years ago and never perceived it as a career, with societal perceptions of the industry being part of one’s hobbies, and so was sent to law school but dropped out two years later to focus on music.

Le Roux highlighted the persistent challenges facing the local music industry, which he believes remain rooted in systemic neglect and marginalisation.

Scrutiny

“From a young age, I saw that there was something wrong with society in South Africa while jamming with many African musicians, as they would not be able to play where I was playing. And so early in my music journey, I was writing music that was expressive and supportive of political and economic emancipation. Even then, there was no support for the music we produced as it was against the government; instead, there was a lot of scrutiny up until 1994,” he said.

However, Le Roux argued that little has changed in terms of government support, even in the democracy era.

“The irony is we are still not getting the support we are supposed to be getting. We are not empowered. Our creative and cultural economy is seen as a social welfare case. Even now, under the new ministry... Minister McKenzie, you show all the potential, my brother. Your heart is in the right place, but you have been hijacked. Don’t put a band-aid on open-heart surgery. Change the entire cultural economy — introduce a bigger vision.”

Le Roux criticised the lack of action on industry reform, referencing the comprehensive proposals made under the Trade Union for Musicians of South Africa (Tumsa) as far back as 2016. Le Roux is a former secretary of Tumsa.

“Since 2016, we made submissions to the ministry under Tumsa, a trade union for musicians, but almost nine years later, they haven’t lifted one finger to attempt to do anything. The plan was comprehensive, it focused on how to better support the industry — but we were shut out, and still are in many ways.”

Sidelining local talent

Using the festive season campaign jingles as an example, Le Roux pointed out that many supermarkets in South Africa continue to use international songs and pay exorbitant amounts for them. In contrast, if they used local songs they would pay a fraction of that cost. He said this option was rarely considered. Le Roux criticised the continued marginalisation of local music in favour of Western culture, saying that it added to the issues faced by many in the industry. With bookings being minimal, any opportunity granted would make a difference.

“The biggest problem is our music economy is still being completely minimised and dominated by Western culture. We are suffering. The Icasa (Independent Communications Authority of South Africa), which is supposed to be the broadcast authority, is not doing its job on the biggest commercial stations. Metro FM is an exception, but overall, Icasa is failing to make people naturally attracted to local music. Rather than choose a James Brown, Jay-Z, or Beyoncé song, let them out of their own free will prefer a ‘safocentric’ song. For a song like Jerusalema to trend worldwide without support was a divine intervention,” he said.

He also criticised the choice of music at key moments in South Africa’s history, such as when Lira performed the British composition Something Inside So Strong at Nelson Mandela’s memorial in 2013.

“It’s a beautiful song written by Labi Siffre, but if I was Madiba, I would be turning in my grave. Sure, Lira is a local artist and good at what she does, but you pay her to sing an international song. Is there not one South African song that Madiba would have loved Lira to sing in his honor? By choosing that song, we are essentially saying there isn’t a single South African composition beautiful enough to match it. Not one, in the entire history of South African music.”

Le Roux also raised concerns about the systemic neglect of artists in labour policy.

“Another problem is that the Labour Relations Act does not recognise artists as workers. That’s the most fundamental issue,” he said.

Inconsistent work

Jack Devnarain, a veteran actor and chairperson of the South African Guild of Actors (Saga), has long advocated for the protection of South African actors in a highly volatile industry. He told Daily Maverick that actors faced challenges such as inconsistent work, exploitation, and a lack of institutional support, which were among the key reasons Saga was established about 15 years ago.

Reflecting on his own career, Devnarain acknowledged the privileged position he was in to have had a long-running contract on Isidingo, which provided financial stability. However, he pointed out that this is rare in the industry, with most actors unable to sustain themselves due to the nature of freelance work.

He criticised the societal tendency to blame creative professionals for not having financial plans when their income was inconsistent and unpredictable. Freelancers, according to Devnarain, were often the most responsible when it came to managing finances, as they were acutely aware of the uncertainty in their work.

For Devnarain, the biggest challenge remained the unregulated nature of the entertainment sector, which was still largely defined by the precarious status of freelancers who were not afforded the protections that came with other employment sectors set out by South African labour laws.

He said the consequences of not being protected by labour laws in South Africa resulted in the many forms of exploitation that come thereafter from being scammed by bogus agents to not getting paid at all, or timeously.

“There is no system in the country that requires that you must register as an agent or carry a licence. You have thousands of agents who con people and tell them there is going to be work and demand upfront payment. People fall for this because they are desperate to work. Others, such as in the set of Queendom, have not been paid in months. It is quite clear to us that some broadcasters and producers don’t care about those who work on set or whether they are safe, fed, and paid.

Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture Gayton McKenzie. (Photo: Gallo Images / Brenton Geach)

“Earlier in 2024 background actors on the set of Shaka Ilembe season 2 were reportedly actors being shipped in from Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga by bogus agents and made to live in tents, some of them with up to 40 people in a house, and made to pay for their own food, transport and for the same bogus agent to live in the same accommodation. Essentially we had a situation of forced labour. Saga has taken the matter to the South African Human Rights Commission, which is still investigating.”

In the past five, years, the financial challenges for creative professionals had been compounded by the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, which brought many sectors to a standstill. However, while many sectors received relief, the entertainment industry was left out due to the irregularity of their income, which made them ineligible for government assistance programmes such as the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF), forcing some to establish charity funds.

Reliance on government agencies

Devnarain criticised the reliance on government agencies, particularly the Department of Sports, Arts, and Culture, for distributing charity funds, claiming that the process lacked transparency and was often politicised. He said that if another crisis were to occur, the industry would still face the same structural issues, as no lessons had been learned.

A potential solution to these systemic problems, Devnarain said, lay in the enforcement of the Performers Protection Amendment Bill and the Copyright Amendment Bill, which would secure statutory rights for actors to earn royalties from their work. He said that these amendments, if and when implemented, would provide financial security and recognition for creatives in South Africa.

Read more: ANC arrest of much-needed legislative protection for performers erodes Parliament’s authority

The South African entertainment industry lost many creatives during the pandemic and after it. This has been followed by the recent posthumous honouring of various awards, underscoring the troubling trend of celebrating individuals only after they are gone. Meanwhile, many living creatives increasingly voice concerns over the “dark side” of the industry which encompasses shady business contracts, exploitation, mental health, cancel culture, lack of support, and more.

Despite being in the industry for the last 15 years, Mafika Jetro Mahlangu an author and IsiNdebele language activist who hails from Secunda, Mpumalanga, only received recognition as an author in the 19th South African Literary Awards, celebrating excellence in writing and translation, at the Ditsong Museum in Pretoria last month. This was for his latest book Umrhayili, however, he claims to have many unpublished books.

“This was the first time the department has recognised me… It was a great achievement to be part of the awards because it brought so much exposure and got my voice heard in the literature space and spotlighted the marginalised persons who speak the IsiNdebele language and subscribe to the culture.”

Mahlangu said the industry needed to support more people, including writers, as publishing costs could prevent creativity from reaching an audience. He said that although writing literature and poetry was his passion, it was not his primary source of income as he worked elsewhere to survive.

Department of Sports, Arts, and Culture response

Among many initiatives by the Department of Sports, Arts, and Culture the Silapha Wellness Programme has topped as one of the initiatives helping artists, athletes, and cultural workers prepare financially and professionally for life beyond the limelight and managing the unpredictable income cycles common in their work. This is according to the department’s spokesperson Zimasa Velaphi. She said the programme launched in 2022 and was born from the Covid-19 pandemic to help stakeholders plan better for future crises.

“The programme is part of the department’s efforts to provide critical support and enhance the wellbeing of individuals in the sports and arts sectors. Some of the initiatives under the Silapha programme include anti-gender-based-violence initiatives, such as Golekane and Baqhawafazi, which demonstrate the department’s commitment to providing a safe and supportive environment for athletes and creatives. It also offers support in financial management, legal matters, mental health issues, etc.”

Velaphi said that beyond this, the department had implemented several initiatives, including:

Mzansi Golden Economy (MGE).

Relief funding.

Business skills training.

Mentorship programmes.

Digital skills training.

Emergency fund.

Industry-wide support.

She said these initiatives demonstrated the department’s commitment to supporting artists and the creative industry, both during and after the Covid-19 pandemic. By providing training, funding, and other forms of support, the department was helping artists build resilience and plan for their futures, contributing to the longer-term sustainability of the creative industry.

Read the Department of Sports, Arts, and Culture’s ministerial 100 days report here.

Zimasa added that the ministry was taking steps to address the concerns of exploitation and job insecurity among emerging and independent talents in sports and the arts.

“One way is through the department’s provision of the financial literacy training already alluded to, with business skills development programmes that aim to empower artists and athletes with the knowledge and skills they need to manage their finances effectively and make informed decisions about their careers. The department is also working to create a more supportive ecosystem for emerging talent, by providing access to resources such as mentorship programmes, networking opportunities, and funding for projects and initiatives. Additionally, the ministry is reviewing policies and regulations to ensure that they are fair and equitable for all stakeholders and that they don't perpetuate exploitation or job insecurity.

“This includes looking at issues such as contractual agreements, intellectual property rights, and labour laws to make sure that artists and athletes are protected and able to earn a decent living from their work. By taking these steps, the ministry will be helping to create a more sustainable and inclusive sports and arts industry, where emerging and independent talents can thrive and reach their full potential.”

‘Lack of departmental support’

While the Ministry of Sports, Arts, and Culture has elaborated on the initiatives to support industry players, none of the different players Daily Maverick spoke to recognised these initiatives. Instead, most of them echoed a lack of departmental support that dates back to apartheid times.

Devnarain criticised the department for treating industry players like charity cases, citing the Covid-19 pandemic as a defining time. He claims that even the process of distributing the funds raised for the industry during the period was controlled by politicians, and not necessarily industry players who were well informed about the issues many people in the industry faced. He said that if a new pandemic hit South Africa there would still not be a proper response mechanism that catered to the entertainment industry.

Meanwhile, the Department of Labour said: “As part of the consultation at the National Economic Development and Labour Council on labour law reforms, we are dealing with possible amendments to the law to cater for freelance and independent workers across sectors.” DM

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