| Title | Chapter 6 |
|---|---|
| Subtitle | Empowering local economies: The role of Amapiano in promoting sustainable community development |
| Contributor | Bulelwa Maphela(author) |
| Chané de Bruyn(author) | |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.4102/aosis.2025.BK566.06 |
| Landing page | https://books.aosis.co.za/index.php/ob/catalog/book/566 |
| License | https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ |
| Copyright | Marius Venter & Chané de Bruyn. Licensee: AOSIS (Pty) Ltd. The moral rights of the editors and authors have been asserted. |
| Publisher | AOSIS |
| Long abstract | The emergence of Amapiano – a vibrant music genre rooted in township culture – demonstrates how creative industries can promote sustainable development and transform communities. This chapter explores the socioeconomic and cultural impact of Amapiano in South Africa, using it as a case study to examine how informal, digitally enabled creative ecosystems contribute significantly to local economic empowerment, youth engagement, and cultural resilience. Grounded in the sustainable development goals, the study employs an inductive qualitative approach to synthesise evidence from digital sources, artist trajectories and community dynamics. Key findings highlight that Amapiano is more than just a music genre; it is a youth-led movement that generates income, fosters entrepreneurship, and revitalises regions. This genre nurtures identity formation, social cohesion, and global cultural exchange while reinforcing music’s transformative potential in promoting social sustainability. With its decentralised production and distribution, Amapiano bypasses traditional gatekeeping, demonstrating that digital creativity and grassroots innovation are powerful tools for inclusive growth. Ultimately, this chapter positions music not as a peripheral artefact but as an active driver of sustainable local economies and a fundamental component of social development policy. It calls for greater recognition of cultural industries within sustainability frameworks and urges policymakers to incorporate artistic innovation into strategies for economic resilience and community well-being. |
| Print length | 25 pages |
| Language | English (Original) |
| THEMA |
|
| BISAC |
|
| Keywords |
|
Bulelwa Maphela is a passionate and driven academic, educator, and creative researcher in the Centre for Local Economic Development(CENLED) at the University of Johannesburg (UJ), South Africa. Her blend of qualifications and experience makes her unique and multidisciplinary in economic development and ethics. Her main research area is on the management of human remains by emerging funeral directors. She taught various subjects at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, nationally and internationally. In the process, she has supervised Honours(Hons), Master of Arts (MA) and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) students. In addition, she has extensive experience working with government institutions and private organisations in entrepreneurial development. Being a registered member of The Ethics Institute (TEI) of South Africa and AfricaEvidence Network (AEN) and publishing impactful academic papers in accredited journals, Maphela is a subject matter expert in local economic development (LED) and the legal intricacies associated with establishing and managing small businesses. Because of her keen interest in ethics, Maphela is one of the research ethics champions at her institution.
Chané de Bruyn is a researcher in CENLED at UJ, South Africa. She has a PhD in Economics, with a focus on LED. She is also certified by the Economic Development Council of South Africa (EDCSA) as an Economic Developer in the field of LED. In addition, she is a member of the policymaker FutureFinance Law Hub. She has published numerous peer-reviewed articles, ranging across quantitative, qualitative and mixed-method approaches in international and national journals as well as at conference proceedings and book chapters. Her research focus is centred on topics relating to LED, development economics, sustainable development and tourism development.