The Francophone African Music Industries Fair (SIMA) announces its 3rd Edition in Republic of Benin | November 12th – 13th.
Following its previous edition, which brought together more than 6,700 participants and over 3,000 industry professionals, this pan-African gathering dedicated to the cultural and creative industries returns with a clear […] The post The Francophone African Music Industries Fair (SIMA) announces its 3rd Edition in Republic of Benin | November 12th – 13th appeared first on BellaNaija - Showcasing Africa to the world.
SIMA 2026 is supported by major institutional and private-sector partners, including the Ministry of Culture, Arts and Heritage of Benin,the Ministry of Tourism and Foreign Trade of Benin,the Embassy of France in Côte d’Ivoire,the BOAD Foundation, and SACEM, Sony Music and Warner Music Africa.
These partnerships reflect the growing interest in the development and structuring of Africa’s cultural and creative industries.
For the second consecutive year, Benin will host SIMA, in line with the country’s broader efforts to strengthen the role of the cultural and creative industries in the structural transformation of its economy and to enhance its cultural influence at both regional and international levels. Co-founded in 2022 by cultural entrepreneur Mamby Diomandé and artist and producer Pit Baccardi , SIMA has established itself as a platform dedicated to structuring, connecting and developing Africa’s creative ecosystems. By placing music at the heart of a broader reflection on the transformation of culture and the creative industries, SIMA also seeks to address the technological shifts reshaping the sector—from artificial intelligence to new ways of creating, distributing and consuming content. At a time when Africa’s creative economy could generate up to 20 million jobs by 2030, the 2026 edition aims to take a further step forward by contributing to the positioning of African creativity as a powerful driver of soft power, value creation and international influence.
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