Work

Funding and Innovation Pathways for Creative Entrepreneurship: Evidence from South Africa’s Creative Economy

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: The creative economy includes the processes involved in producing, sharing, and using goods and services that depend on creativity, cultural understanding, entrepreneurship, and intellectual property as essential factors for economic value. This study examines the impact of digital infrastructure, artificial intelligence (AI), and innovation capabilities on the performance of South Africa’s creative economy from 1999 to 2023. It uses the autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) model and incorporates patent activity, ICT-related trade, and creative sector variables to analyse the short-term and long-term relationships. The findings suggest that digital trade and sector maturity significantly increase intellectual property revenues, while patent activities show minimal effect, and funding factors face measurement challenges. Persistent digital divides, reflected in uneven ICT adoption, limit equitable participation and business prospects. These results highlight the challenges and systemic obstacles faced by creative entrepreneurs. Policy suggestions emphasise targeted support for commercialising intellectual property, wider access to affordable digital infrastructure, and creating AI-focused creative hubs to strengthen South Africa’s role in the global creative economy.

Source: World

DOI: 10.3390/world6040159

Authors: Thoko Mayekiso, Kanayo Ogujiuba, Lethabo Maponya

Institution: University of Mpumalanga

Language: English

Topic: Cultural Industries and Urban Development

Subfield: Urban Studies

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Industry, innovation and infrastructure, Decent work and economic growth

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $1,207