Strathmore University Business School and The Burns Brothers Announce a Landmark Partnership to Build Africa’s Creative Economy

Strathmore University Business School, in partnership with The Burns Brothers, USA, today have announced a landmark collaboration to establish the Creative Economy Africa Institute, a Pan-African platform dedicated to unlocking the continent’s creative and cultural industries as engines of economic transformation.

This partnership signals a shared commitment to equip Africa’s next generation of creative leaders, to strengthen creative ecosystems, and catalyse one million jobs across the continent by 2035.

According to UNESCO, Africa’s creative economy has the potential to generate more than $20 billion in annual revenues and create over 20 million jobs. It represents one of the continent’s most powerful economic growth engines. Yet despite Africa’s growing influence across music, film, fashion, sports, technology, media, gaming, tourism, and entertainment, the continent currently captures only a small fraction of the global creative economy.

During a meeting, attended by Dr. Caesar Mwangi, Executive Dean of Strathmore University Business School, along with Mike and John Burns, Founding Partners of The Burns Brothers, and other key leaders, it was underscored that building platforms, designing ecosystem infrastructure, and creating cross-continental pathways between Africa and the United States are essential to converting creative momentum into structured economic systems capable of generating scale, jobs, and long-term value.

The Institute will launch its work with Creative Economy 101, an innovative digital learning program developed for Kenya and designed to scale across other African countries. The course introduces creators, entrepreneurs, students, professionals, executives, policymakers, and innovators to the business, economics, and infrastructure shaping Africa’s creative industries.

As Africa’s first Pan-African certification course focused on the economic architecture and emerging opportunities shaping the continent’s creative industries, Creative Economy 101 signals the Institute’s immediate impact. Its digital-first design ensures broad accessibility from day one, extending learning across Kenya and, over time, across the continent, opening new pathways for creators, entrepreneurs, and industry leaders to engage with Africa’s creative economy.

The collaboration between Strathmore University Business School and The Burns Brothers extends far beyond the classroom. Together, the partners will foster experiential learning, 1 mentorship, applied research, and Africa–United States knowledge exchange that strengthens regional development and global connectivity.

The Burns Brothers bring practitioner-led expertise in building platforms, designing ecosystem infrastructure, and creating cross-continental pathways that convert creative momentum into structured economic systems capable of generating scale, jobs, and long-term value. Their work complements Strathmore’s academic excellence and positions the Institute as a continental hub for innovation, enterprise development, and policy advancement. This partnership signals a clear and urgent message: Africa’s creative economy is not simply potential waiting to be realised; it is a powerful, investable engine of transformation.

By combining academic rigour, industry expertise, and Pan-African collaboration, the Creative Economy Africa Institute marks a defining moment for the continent’s creative industries. It positions Africa as a global leader in creativity, culture, innovation, and intellectual property ownership, and sets the stage for a new era in which African creators and creative enterprises can thrive at scale, compete globally, and shape the future of the world’s cultural and economic landscape. Africa’s creative future is here, and it is ready to scale.

Article by SBS Communications Team