South African media personality and content creator Lasizwe Dambuza has called on Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture Gayton McKenzie to address what he believes is the decline of the country’s arts and entertainment industry.
In a post shared on X, Lasizwe expressed concern about the current state of South African entertainment, pointing to the declining quality of award shows and the apparent loss of corporate investment in the creative sector.
Reflecting on his experience growing up watching the South African Music Awards (SAMAs), Lasizwe said it was disappointing to see how much the industry has changed. He argued that South Africa has all the ingredients needed to produce world-class entertainment, including talented creatives, performers, producers, technical experts and access to modern technology.
He also questioned why the country has not been able to establish itself as “Africa’s Hollywood” despite having so much potential.
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“With the amount of talent in this country, there is simply no reason our biggest productions shouldn’t look and feel world-class”, he wrote.
Lasizwe’s comments have sparked conversations about the future of South Africa’s entertainment industry, with many creatives sharing similar concerns about limited funding, declining production standards, and a lack of support from both the private and public sectors.
At the time of publication, neither Minister Gayton McKenzie nor the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture had responded to Lasizwe’s statement.
