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Unlocking Joburg's creative potential
Arts practitioner and researcher Mariapaola McGurk recently completed her doctorate, titled A Systems Thinking Approach to the Growth of the Creative Economy of Johannesburg. Her research highlights that the growth of the creative economy is inherently complex, requiring all components, stakeholders, and constraints to be considered in order to succeed. (Read how McGurk used her PhD to map Joburg's creative hubs.)
McGurk found that Johannesburg is home to a strong community of cultural and creative practitioners who are entrepreneurially oriented and already inclined to think in systemic ways. However, despite this, her research revealed that the city is currently perceived as falling short in six of the eight key factors required for a creative city to thrive. These are:
– Education
– Leadership
– Infrastructure
– Culture
– Government policy
– Technological innovation
– Creative clusters and networks
– Diversity
Diversity and culture yielded mixed results, demonstrating both strengths and challenges, while the other six factors show unsuccessful outcomes. "Unlocking Johannesburg’s creative potential will demand much greater collaboration, with all key stakeholders coming together around a shared vision," says McGurk. "Only then can the city realise its full promise as a hub of creativity and innovation."
In this vein, McGurk hosted a series of conversations for Creative20 (CE20) in June 2025 – and our ears pricked. CE20 is a global policy and economic platform dedicated to advancing the creative and cultural industries. In the lead-up to the G20 Summit of global leaders in Johannesburg in November 2025, they are channelling their efforts towards recognising creativity as a G20 priority and, if you're already on board with that, there's a pledge you can sign here.
Says co-founder and convenor of CE20 Tebogo Moalusi, "McGurk's research has been the playbook as to why this needs to happen." We too are fascinated by McGurk's line of thinking and reached out to her to guest author what follows and motivate for Johannesburg as a UNESCO-recognised Creative City. With CONTRA.Joburg on the horizon (August 2025) and a fabulous lineup ready to light up the city as part of Jozi My Jozi Walks (September 2025), the importance of creativity in Johannesburg is not a hard sell for us. Over to McGurk.
10 reasons why Johannesburg should be a Creative City
media launch. Photo: Ryan Enslin @my_lime_boots.
Johannesburg has always been the City of Gold, a place built on grit, ambition, and endless hustle. But Jozi’s real treasure doesn’t just glitter underground – it shines in its people. Walk down a Maboneng street on a Saturday and you’ll hear jazz spilling from cafés, smell the spices of a food market, and see murals stretching across concrete walls like open-air galleries. From film crews shooting in the inner city to designers reimagining African fashion, Johannesburg hums with creativity at every corner.
The numbers tell the same story. According to the South African Cultural Observatory, South Africa’s cultural and creative industries contribute nearly R161 billion to the economy each year, or about 3% of GDP – on par with agriculture. Almost a million South Africans make a living in the sector, and Gauteng drives nearly half of that output. Johannesburg, the beating heart of Gauteng, already acts as the country’s cultural engine. What’s missing is recognition and support.
That’s where UNESCO comes in. The Creative Cities Network connects places that put culture and creativity at the centre of their development, across seven fields – design, film, gastronomy, literature, media arts, music, and crafts. It’s more than a title. Membership opens the door to international partnerships, cultural exchanges, and global visibility. More than that, it allows our municipality and residents to start seeing this city as a creative city.
South Africa already has three Creative Cities: Cape Town (Design), Durban (Literature), and Overstrand (Gastronomy). Johannesburg, with its blend of grit and imagination, is the natural next step. Here are 10 reasons why Jozi deserves to join them:
1. A NEW KIND OF ECONOMY
Beyond mining and finance, creativity drives growth in film, fashion, gaming, design, the arts, and media.
2. JOBS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE
With South Africa’s youthful population, creative industries offer practical, people-powered work and entrepreneurial pathways.
3. GLOBAL RECOGNITION
UNESCO status would put Johannesburg alongside the world’s most creative capitals.
4. BOOSTING TOURISM
Visitors come not only for wildlife, but for festivals, street art tours, Soweto jazz clubs, and galleries. This is not just international tourism, but also domestic; getting residents of our city, and our country to experience more of what this city has to offer.
5. REVIVING OUR SPACES
From old warehouses in Newtown to abandoned factories in Jeppestown, creative hubs can turn decay into vibrant cultural districts, and this is already happening!
6. CELEBRATING DIVERSITY
Few cities match Jozi’s cultural mix. From township theatre to digital gaming, a Creative City framework makes room for it all.
7. DRIVING INNOVATION
Art and tech meet here: think animation studios, VR storytelling, and fashion houses embracing digital design.
8. KEEPING TALENT AT HOME
Too often, young artists and entrepreneurs leave. A Creative City designation creates opportunities that keep them rooted in Jozi.
9. INSPIRING THE NEXT GENERATION
Schools and universities can partner with industries to give students future-ready skills in design, storytelling, and digital production.
10. CITY PRIDE AND GLOBAL IDENTITY
Above all, becoming a Creative City tells the world that Johannesburg is more than its skyline – it is a city of imagination, resilience, and reinvention.
Why this recognition matters
Johannesburg has never lacked energy or ideas. The sounds of Soweto, the colours of Braamfontein street art, the taste of a kota shared at a market stall – these are the everyday expressions of its creative soul. Gold may have built the city, but it’s culture and imagination that will shape its future. By claiming its place as a UNESCO Creative City, Jozi can stand proudly on the global stage, not just as a city of hustle, but as a city of creativity.
This article was guest-written for Johannesburg In Your Pocket by Dr Mariapaola McGurk.
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