French and South African creative industries in the spotlight at ICC Forum 2025

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French and South African leaders from the creative economy recently gathered in Pretoria for the ICC Forum 2025, a flagship event of the ICC Immersion South Africa programme, hosted at the French Residence in Pretoria.

Part of the France 2030 initiative and implemented locally by the French Institute of South Africa (IFAS) and Business France South Africa and Southern Africa, the ICC Forum provided a high-level platform for collaboration, innovation, and exchange between cultural and creative industry (CCI) professionals across both countries.

Welcoming the delegation, His Excellency Mr David Martinon, French Ambassador to South Africa, Lesotho, and Malawi, emphasised France’s ongoing commitment to cultural diplomacy and the shared potential of the creative industries to drive innovation, sustainability, and social impact.

“ICC Immersion in South Africa is more than a showcase of French creativity — it’s a catalyst for long-term collaboration between French companies and South African partners. This forum marks the beginning of concrete joint ventures in fields such as digital arts, sustainable fashion, immersive heritage, and music innovation. These creative industries are drivers of economic opportunity, social transformation, and deeper mutual understanding.”, said Ambassador Martinon.

The Forum provided an opportunity for the ICC Immersion South Africa 2025 delegates to showcase their respective companies and offerings:

ALLEGRIA – Creators of “Château Merveilles”, an immersive VVIP dining experience combining two cultures while showcasing the French Art de Vivre. Get ready for an unforgettable dinner in the famous Louvre museum or Palace of Versailles
Atrack (Beam for Music) – helps artists and music publishers optimise royalty tracking and revenue recovery through advanced technology and data visualisation tools.
Agence Culturelle PLUS (Reunion Island) – a cultural think tank facilitating dialogue between arts, heritage, and people, while revitalising traditional mediation tools through site-specific projects and festivals.
Culturespaces – manages 14 renowned cultural and heritage sites including the Atelier des Lumières in Paris, offering immersive exhibitions and audiovisual experiences across France and abroad.
Fabrik & Moi (Reunion Island) – a high-end fashion brand focused on ethical and sustainable textile innovation, with a CSR-led project that transforms used fabrics into luxury pieces—featured most recently at Paris Fashion Week.
France Muséums Développement – provides strategic consulting for major museum projects globally, leveraging the expertise of leading French museums to foster cultural impact and audience engagement.
Jakob + MacFarlane – a cutting-edge architecture and urban design firm known for socially committed, environmentally innovative projects across sectors—from museums and theatres to housing and research labs.
Memorist – brings together five French heritage firms to offer services in conservation, restoration, digitisation, and promotion of tangible and intangible cultural assets worldwide.
SoundBirth – the first French startup to deliver an all-in-one mobile platform for artists, combining global music distribution, social media promotion, and AI-powered career support.

Exploring the future of culture, design, and innovation

Over the course of the day, a series of dynamic panel discussions also unpacked key issues shaping the future of the creative sector — from green design and digital innovation, to inclusive cultural institutions and urban tourism development through heritage.

Highlights included:

Driving Innovation: Start-Up Culture in CCI

Moderated by creative entrepreneur and CEO of Chocolate Tribe, Nosipho Maketo-Van den Bragt, this session spotlighted the role of technology and entrepreneurship in reshaping music, media, and content platforms. Speakers included Maxime Marmoz (SoundBirth), Joy Mawela (Tshimologong Digital Content Hub), Jimmy Muteba (Moodswing) and Thomas Zandrowicz (Beam for Music).

Green Design Futures

A forward-thinking dialogue on sustainable design and ethical creativity across architecture, fashion, and the arts. Moderated by Eben Keun (Breinstorm Brand Architects), the panel featured Brendan McFarlane (Jakob + MacFarlane), Carline Grunfelder (Fabrik & Moi), Juliet Kavishe (Pan Afrikan Design Institute) and Eduardo Cachucho (Pro Helvetia Johannesburg).

Cultural Institutions: Designing for Inclusion and New Publics

Chaired by artist and curator Siwa Mgoboza, this session explored how institutions are becoming more accessible, innovative, and audience-focused. Contributions came from Caryn Green (Sibikwa Arts Centre), Simon Eyriès (Culturespaces) and Tanguy Sévat-Denuet (Agence culturelle PLUS).

Shaping the Cultural Economy: Heritage & Events as Drivers of Urban Development

Moderated by Avril Joffe (Associate Researcher Wits University, UNESCO Chair in Cultural Entrepreneurship and Policy), this panel showcased how cities can leverage culture for sustainable growth. Speakers included Beth Arendse (SA Creative Industries Incubator), Isabel Lecea (Memorist) and Claudie Bonavita (France Muséums).

The Forum formed part of a 10-day immersion programme in South Africa for the visiting French delegation — comprised of leading creative companies across fashion, architecture, tech, heritage, and event production — as part of the broader ICC Immersion 2025 programme.

The ICC Immersion South Africa programme began in April 2025 with an online immersion phase featuring market insight sessions and expert-led discussions. From 23 June to 2 July 2025, participants took part in a 10-day physical immersion across Johannesburg, Pretoria, and Cape Town, including B2B meetings, site visits, and high-level networking events.