African creative futures: mainstreaming creativity in the South African skills ecosystem

Arendse, Beth

African creative futures: mainstreaming creativity in the South African skills ecosystem

Thesis / Dissertation

2025

Publisher

University of Cape Town

Department

Graduate School of Business (GSB)

Faculty

Faculty of Commerce

Abstract

Creative future skills will be essential for Africa and South Africa, driving economic development, innovation capacity, and the ability to respond to the evolving socio political environments of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) era. This study explores opportunities for developing creativity and creative thinking, key future skills, within South Africa's current 4IR planning. Using an exploratory qualitative approach, the research examines how creativity is experienced and understood, alongside the social and cultural factors influencing creative thinking, through three distinct lenses: educators, skills ecosystem managers, and youth. The study aims to understand how creativity is experienced, taught, and implemented and its wider application within South Africa's skills ecosystem, in the context of ongoing 4IR planning. It investigates the current approaches to creative education in South Africa and identifies key social and cultural factors shared by South African educators, skills ecosystem managers and youth that can guide the implementation of creative education. Furthermore, it seeks to demonstrate potential reforms in creative education through an appropriate praxis model.