Africa’s rapidly growing youth population and expanding digital connectivity are positioning the continent’s creative industries as a major economic growth engine, with women emerging as central drivers of innovation, entrepreneurship, and value creation.

A new report by Boston Consulting Group (BCG) titled Africa’s Next Growth Frontier: Empowering Women in the Creative Industries estimates that Africa’s creative economy, spanning fashion, design, music, film, and digital content, is currently valued at about $59 billion, though the sector remains significantly underdeveloped compared to its global potential.

With nearly 890 million people under the age of 25, Africa has the world’s youngest population, creating both a vast consumer market and a deep reservoir of creative talent. According to the report, this demographic advantage is helping shift Africa’s growth narrative away from dependence on extractive industries toward a creativity-led economy.

“Unlike extractive industries, Africa’s creative economy offers a model rooted in agency, innovation, and shared prosperity,” said Lisa Ivers, managing director/senior partner and head of BCG Africa.

“Women-led creative businesses are generating jobs, building resilient local supply chains and reinvesting in their communities, making them central to Africa’s transformation story.”

BCG identifies four key forces accelerating the continent’s creative economy: digital acceleration, cultural intellectual property (IP), the African diaspora, and the continent’s young and growing population.

Rapid smartphone adoption and expanding broadband infrastructure have enabled 300–400 million Africans, roughly 40 percent of the population, to actively engage with social media, allowing creators to reach global audiences directly and build new business models around digital distribution.

The continent’s rich cultural heritage—reflected in its storytelling traditions, design aesthetics and artistic expression is also increasingly becoming a globally recognised intellectual property asset.

This influence is further amplified by a diaspora of more than 200 million people of African descent living outside the continent, who help drive international demand for African cultural products and creative experiences.

Despite the sector’s growing visibility, Africa’s creative industries still represent less than three percent of the $2 trillion global creative economy.

However, BCG projects that doubling Africa’s global share to 6 percent by 2030 could increase creative exports to $150–160 billion, significantly boosting economic diversification across the continent.

Within the creative economy, fashion and design stand out as one of the most significant contributors, with the industry currently valued at $31 billion.

Women dominate the sector, making up more than 60 percent of Africa’s fashion workforce, according to the report. In countries such as Kenya and Madagascar, women account for over 80 percent of the workforce.