Kenya’s Creative Industry Shines at Landmark Nairobi Summit
This summit has given us a great chance to honor Kenya’s remarkable ability and creativity,” said Alvin Mbugua, Spirits General Manager, EABL.
The Creative Summit, held at the East African Breweries Limited (EABL) headquarters, gathered most prominent voices from Kenya's entertainment and creative sector. Photo/ Courtesy
By Juliet Jerotich
Kenya’s art community was at the forefront of Nairobi as artists, musicians, fashion designers, filmmakers, and digital entrepreneurs converged to engage in a top-tier industry conference aimed at making the nation more relevant across Africa and the world.
The Creative Summit, held at the East African Breweries Limited (EABL) headquarters, gathered most prominent voices from Kenya’s entertainment and creative sector. The intention was to debate how talent from the region can benefit the global cultural economy more and position Kenya as a creative hub.
There were two action-packed panel sessions focused on trends that are shaping Africa’s creative future. The first, “Walking with Culture: When Music Unites a Continent,” examined the impact of music in bringing people together, promoting cultural exchange, and showcasing African talent outside borders. The second, “Strides in Progress: Content Meets Culture,” examined how fashion, visual arts, and digital stories are defining current African creativity and providing new avenues for young people and entrepreneurs.
Kenyan music sensation Ace Nyashinski, who is also a Johnnie Walker Brand Ambassador, joined other players in the industry on the podium to share his story and ponder the evolving creative landscape. He identified collaboration, consistency, and innovation as vital elements towards making African artists global icons.
The highlight of the summit was perhaps most significantly the launch of AfroExchange, a new platform launching in November. The project has its goal set to bring African creatives from various disciplines—music, arts, film, and fashion—on board by working together and learning from each other. AfroExchange is going to build stronger networks across the continent and present Africa’s cultural identity on a bigger, more global scale.
This summit has given us a great chance to honor Kenya’s remarkable ability and creativity,” said Alvin Mbugua, Spirits General Manager, EABL. “It also opens the door to AfroExchange, which will reunite more creators and release new opportunities for collaboration across Africa.”.
AfroExchange is a replay of an event of the same nature organized in Johannesburg, South Africa, earlier this year and will bring attention to Africa’s creative success as it deepens cultural and economic links within the creative network.
Mbugua reaffirmed Johnnie Walker’s commitment to advancing Africa’s creative community. “Our role is to keep celebrating local talent. When African creativity succeeds, the continent stands taller—precisely as our brand promise, Keep Walking, suggests,” he added.
The summit brought to focus the growing importance of Kenya’s creative economy as being more than entertainment. It is more and more being viewed as a significant economic growth stimulant, innovation, and cultural diplomacy—a sector capable of placing Kenya firmly on the global creative map.
About Author
