Cultures are shifting and the arts are gradually emerging into a more acceptable, lucrative and sustainable way of life for many Africans.
They are continuing to abandon traditional careers and societal norms forced upon them, to fulfill what they see as their true purpose in the creative industry. Despite the drive and passion many of these people have, they often lack the necessary support and opportunities to truly establish themselves as full-time creatives.
Africa’s share of the global creative economy is less than 1%.1 That represents huge growth potential in the creative space in Africa.
For Africa’s creative scene to truly become the high-value sector it deserves to be, it requires collaborative action, as well as intellectual and financial support – this is exactly what New Comma seeks to provide to its users.
NewComma, the social media platform reimagining the talent directory, is where African creatives can display their work, connect with other creatives, and build relationships with businesses in Africa and the rest of the world.
NewComma is now live in beta, and creatives and enthusiasts can sign up for free at newcomma.com
Traditionally, many companies have chosen not to engage with creators on the continent. And because of that, what we have today are creatives who do not always have access to the networks to help them grow and secure work. This is the problem NewComma wants to solve.
It is a platform that helps develop both the budding and the seasoned creative, putting them in a position to take advantage of the wealth of opportunities that exist on a global scale.
Both Founders Natalie Narh and Nigel Atta-Mensah were raised and schooled in Ghana themselves and have worked with African creatives for years, helping them to display their talents to untapped audiences.
Natalie Narh, CCO & Co-Founder of New Comma: “Nowadays when people talk about Africa, we hear so much about the opportunity, we hear Africa is the future. At New Comma we say Africa is now and we have built a platform so that Africans around the world, and in the continent especially, can benefit from the huge growth that’s happening right now.”
New Comma sets itself apart with a Pan-African outlook. In a world where African culture is often misappropriated by non-African artists, the platform helps creators put themselves at the forefront of their culture on a global stage.
Natalie’s Co-Founder and CFO, Nigel Atta-Mensah, sees this platform as a huge step in connecting African creatives with global opportunities: “African governments need to create 18m new jobs each year to absorb the large, young and ambitious population coming to working age. We understand the problem is big and needs to be addressed now so we have created a space where we can nurture creatives and help them convert them into the formal sector to bring them more opportunities”.
