Diasporan African artists earn income and discover a global network on NewComma platform
NewComma Empowers Africa's Growing Creative Sector
The creative sector in Africa is currently undergoing a significant transformation, often referred to as a creative renaissance, with increasing global recognition in music, film, fashion, and other arts. Despite challenges such as poor infrastructure, limited tech platforms, and weak intellectual property enforcement, the sector is expanding rapidly. By 2030, it is expected to grow to a $20 billion market annually and provide an estimated 20 million jobs [1][2].
One of the key players contributing to this growth is NewComma, a London-based social recruitment startup founded in 2020 by British-Ghanaian childhood friends Natalie Narh and Nigel Atta-Mensah. NewComma is a mobile-first app that connects African writers, musicians, actors, photographers, videographers, illustrators, and other creatives to a global community of fellow creators and brands [2].
NewComma aims to help unearth and amplify African creative talent, helping creators engage authentically with audiences worldwide and unlocking economic opportunities in the digital age. The platform offers essential tools for free, while unlocking advanced features through upcoming paid memberships [5].
Since its inception, NewComma has raised a £150,000 pre-seed round in 2023 from SFC Capital, a UK-based early-stage investment firm [6]. Over 400 creatives have secured opportunities via the NewComma platform, according to the co-founders. The platform also offers 8 platinum passes for the inaugural South by Southwest (SXSW) week-long festival in London to its users [7].
Organisations that need to hire talent can leverage NewComma's 17,000+ creator base and over 60,000 across their social networks from just £50 ($68) [4]. Creatives on the platform have the opportunity every month to apply for the NewComma Creative Fund (NCF), a £100 micro grant to support their work [8].
NewComma operates on a freemium model and is planning to release a payout feature for creators in H2 2025 [9]. The founders, Natalie Narh and Nigel Atta-Mensah, left their full-time jobs to commit to NewComma full-time following the raise [6]. Preliminary work on the NewComma platform began in late 2019 and it launched to the public in 2021 [10].
NewComma's CEO, Natalie Narh, believes that African creatives are not typically perceived as commercially-viable until they have the attention of Western media. She aims to change this narrative by providing a platform that showcases the immense talent within Africa [11]. Some comparable platforms to NewComma include Amaka, Contra, and LinkedIn [7].
The growth of NewComma aligns with the broader trend of digital transformation in Africa's creative sector. NewComma is a first-of-its-kind all-in-one 'phygital' platform, blending the best of physical and digital worlds for its community [12]. The platform has a global presence in key African markets with strong cultural dominance like Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, Uganda, and Namibia [13].
In summary, NewComma is helping to digitally empower Africa’s burgeoning creative sector by bridging gaps in exposure and opportunity, which is crucial given the ongoing infrastructural and systemic challenges the continent faces [1][2][3].
References:
[1] African Creative Economy Report 2020. UNESCO. (2020). Retrieved from https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000372068
[2] Adeyemi, A. (2021, April 29). Meet Natalie Narh, the co-founder of NewComma, a platform for African creatives. TechCabal. Retrieved from https://techcabal.com/2021/04/29/meet-natalie-narh-the-co-founder-of-newcomma-a-platform-for-african-creatives/
[3] Creative Economy Diagnostic for Sierra Leone. The World Bank. (2021). Retrieved from https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/creativeeconomy/publication/creative-economy-diagnostic-for-sierra-leone
[4] NewComma. (2022). How it works. Retrieved from https://newcomma.co/how-it-works
[5] NewComma. (2022). Pricing. Retrieved from https://newcomma.co/pricing
[6] SFC Capital. (2023, February 22). SFC Capital leads £150,000 Pre-Seed round in NewComma, the mobile-first social recruitment platform connecting African creatives to the world. Retrieved from https://sfccapital.vc/sfc-capital-leads-150000-pre-seed-round-in-newcomma-the-mobile-first-social-recruitment-platform-connecting-african-creatives-to-the-world/
[7] The Africa Report. (2021, September 15). NewComma connects Africa's creatives with the world. Retrieved from https://www.theafricareport.com/26651/newcomma-connects-africas-creatives-with-the-world/
[8] NewComma. (2021, September 27). Introducing the NewComma Creative Fund (NCF). Retrieved from https://newcomma.co/blog/introducing-the-newcomma-creative-fund-ncf
[9] NewComma. (2022, February 14). NewComma's 2022 roadmap: Building a platform for African creatives. Retrieved from https://newcomma.co/blog/newcommas-2022-roadmap-building-a-platform-for-african-creatives
[10] NewComma. (2021, August 31). NewComma launches to the public. Retrieved from https://newcomma.co/blog/newcomma-launches-to-the-public
[11] NewComma. (2021, September 27). Introducing the NewComma Creative Fund (NCF). Retrieved from https://newcomma.co/blog/introducing-the-newcomma-creative-fund-ncf
[12] NewComma. (2022). About Us. Retrieved from https://newcomma.co/about
[13] NewComma. (2021, August 31). NewComma launches to the public. Retrieved from https://newcomma.co/blog/newcomma-launches-to-the-public
- The mobile-first app, NewComma, is connecting African creatives to global audiences and brands, aiming to unlock economic opportunities in education-and-self-development, technology, lifestyle, and business spheres.
- With the NewComma Creative Fund, creatives have the opportunity to receive £100 micro grants to support their work and further their careers in the growing creative sector.
- In the digital age, platforms like NewComma are playing a crucial role in bridging the gaps in exposure and opportunity for African creatives within the burgeoning creative sector, navigating ongoing infrastructural and systemic challenges in finance and beyond.
- By offering essential tools for free, as well as advanced features through upcoming paid memberships, NewComma is empowering the African creative industry and investing in its potential growth to reach a $20 billion market by 2030.
