Is the township creative economy unrealised?
Posted by Floyd Baloyi (Community Manager) 
on
20 January 2026, 14:55
SAST
If you walk through the streets of Soweto, Khayelitsha, or Umlazi, you don't need a degree in economics to see the creativity. It’s in the amapiano tracks blasting from taxis, the disruptive streetwear brands born in backrooms, and the digital content creators turning dusty corners into viral sets.
South Africa’s "kasi" (township) economy is often touted as the country's next frontier of growth—a market estimated to be worth over R900 billion. Yet, when we drill down into the creative sector specifically—arts, film, fashion, design, and tech—we hit a hard truth: This economy is massively unrealised.
While the talent is undeniable, the transition from "hustle" to "industry" remains a bridge too far for too many. Here is why the kasi creative economy is still a sleeping giant, and what it will take to wake it up.
