silence is not culture. Silence is often fear.
The Definition Of Productivity Must Change
Africa does not need a creative economy that produces more while destroying more people. We need an economy where human beings remain part of the definition of productivity.
The first change is leadership. Managers must be trained not simply to manage projects but to manage people with empathy.
The second is accountability. Every creative organisation- whether a multinational advertising agency or a three-person production company- should have clear standards against bullying, harassment and discrimination.
The third is decent pay and contracts. Passion cannot be used as currency. Exposure cannot pay rent.
The fourth is rest. A person who never rests is not necessarily committed. They may simply be trapped.
And finally, we need to normalise conversations about mental health without turning every organisational problem into an individual ' s psychological problem.
If the workplace is toxic, giving the employee a motivational poster and telling them to
“ be resilient” is not a solution. Fix the workplace.
The Creative Economy Must Also Be A Human Economy
UNESCO ' s latest work on skills and employment in the cultural and creative industries makes a critical point: the sector needs stronger skills systems, partnerships, professional pathways and sustainable employment. It also notes the persistence of informality, precarity and inequality in the creative workforce.
That word – sustainable- should become central to Africa ' s creative conversation. We talk constantly about sustainability in agriculture, energy, finance and the environment. Why not sustainability of the human being?
What is the value of a successful production if the people behind it are broken? What is the value of a profitable agency if its young employees are afraid to speak? What is the value of an award-winning film if the crew cannot afford to recover from making it? What is the value of creative excellence if creativity itself becomes associated with anxiety, humiliation and exhaustion?
The African creative economy stands at a remarkable crossroads. We can build industries that merely extract talent. Or we can build industries that develop talent, protect talent and allow talent to flourish.
The choice begins with leadership. It begins with employers. It begins with regulators. It begins with investors. It begins with professional associations. And, ultimately, it begins with us. Because behind every campaign, film, song, photograph, broadcast, fashion collection, headline, performance and digital creation is a human being.
Let us stop measuring the success of African creativity only by what it produces. Let us also ask what it costs the people producing it.
Because the greatest creative economy in Africa will not be the one that works its people hardest. It will be the one that enables them to create, earn, rest, grow, belong- and live.
That said, did you work out this morning? Did you do remember to breathe this morning and to do some push-ups and sit-ups? If not, I urge you to do something. And make it a habit!
Eddie Okila is a health and fitness expert dedicated to helping individuals and organizations transform their approach to well-being. He is also a global sports marketer, talent developer, cyclist, golfer, and President of Teqball Uganda. You can commune with him via email at: Eddiedokila @ gmail. com.