Sopuruchi Onwuka
Digital archetype, Ananse Africa, which has launched in two continental economic hubs of Lagos and Johannesburg, is set to dominate the global creative markets with products and designs that promote African culture.
The platform is in partnership with MasterCard and DHL to facilitate digital marketplace for over 1000 African fashion designers and artists who desire a common commercial platform to externalize their creations.
Then platform prides itself with capacity to “simplify global and local trade for African designers and artisans; creating economic opportunities for talented youth and women creatives across Africa.”
It added that it can deliver African creative output to over 200 countries and territories, making it easy for the world to shop beautiful things that are made in Africa.
Beyond creating a commercial platform for global connectivity, Ananse Africa also secures the intellectual and creative rights of writers, designers, sculptors and other creative artists under a common copyright platform.
President, Society of Nigerian Artists, Oliver Nwonwu, said that the platform had capacity to deliver greater promotion for the creative industry all over the world. He added that Ananse Africa would help protect intellectual rights and creative licenses of artists in the continent.
He described the common platform as a way of rebranding the continent, pointing out that creative artists have the spin for national image molding and branding. He also argued that propagation of culture through arts delivers greater reputational benefits than advertising.
In pointing at the cultural promotion and economic contributions of the Nigerian movie industry as part of the potentials the new platform holds, Mr Nwonwu pointed out that creative arts industry is interdisciplinary with capacity for employment and business creation along the chain of skills and talents.
“So you can imagine the volume of job creations and opportunities that will come with platforms like this,” he said.
He said the platform and its contents, when properly managed and harnessed, would catalyze the economy and boost productivity in monumental scale not earlier imagined possible in the creative industry.
He also pointed out that creative works like paintings and sculptures have become vogue for collectors and other people seeking to store value, explaining that paintings and crafts have become as important as jewels in storing value.
Oracle Intelligence reports that collectors buy artworks, especially paintings and sculpted works, and sell same at later auctions to recover their money or make profits.
According to Mr Nwonwu, Ananse Africa would also form the aegis for professional designers, artists, sculptors and painters of African origin to share their works with the world.
Anase Africa is already launched in Lagos and Johannesburg in a momentum that seeks convergence for African creative works in capturing huge space in the global market. The online platform will connect creators with market in the face of the limited physical closeness imposed by the prevailing global coronavirus pandemic.
Different designers, clothing artists and brands declared intention to use the platform for export of African culture and promote tourism. Some of the fashion brands already for free delivery on the platform include outfts by Ejiro; bag by Marte Egele and artwork by Richard Izege.
Others are dresses by For Styles Sake; scarf by My Q Lady; sandals by K Aspen; shoes by Keex and other clothing outfits by Olode and Thread.
Ananse Africa stated that all the promoted products could be delivered for free by DHL on Ananse.com this April.