Africa is a continent filled with creative talent yet contributes less than 1% according to the UNESCO creative economy report 2013 to the global creative economy. The Skika team have set out on a journey to change this narrative. They are doing so by providing technological infrastructure to enable the development of profitable and sustainable creative enterprises.
Skika is loosely translated to mean ‘Be heard’. It is derived from the Swahili word kusikika, and was inspired by the need to stretch African stories beyond stereotypical one-dimensional narratives that are often portrayed in global media.
Skika’s technology welcomes a diverse range of creatives – actors, comedians, dancers, directors, fashion gurus (designers, models and make-up artists), filmmakers, musicians, photographers, poets, presenters, visual artists (sculptors, painters, animators, etc.) and writers – to become part of a community where they can collaborate with one another to develop works of art, showcase their talents, get access to jobs and ultimately, develop their careers and creative businesses in a holistic manner.
The Skika platform serves as infrastructure to generate greater efficiency, sustainability and profitability for the entire African creative economies. In addition, through Skika, multidisciplinary creatives will no longer have to operate in silo communities to develop their different creative talents.
The Skika Afrika platform will be unveiled this 2018 in Nigeria and Kenya.
The Skika team want creatives to engage earnestly to build up the community by spreading the word about Skika through their social media platforms and stay informed about the development of Skika by signing up at www.skikaafrika.com or following them @skikaafrika_ng, @skikaafrika_ke (Instagram and Twitter) or Skika Afrika (Facebook).
Skika, it’s about being heard.