Address by Acting Director-General, Mr Sibusiso Tsanyane on behalf of the Department at the Economic and Digital Rights in the Creative Sectors Side Event, 24 October 2025
Programme Director,
Honorable leadership and representatives of the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government, MEC Khawula,the HOD of KZN Department of Sports, Arts and Culture.
The council and executive leadership of the Luthuli Museum,
Distinguished delegates, members of the artistic community and creative sector, civil society organisations, international partners, colleagues, and friends.
Good morning and thank you for joining us at this important side event on Economic and Digital Rights in the Creative and Cultural Sectors. It is a great pleasure to welcome you all.
It is a profound honour to join you here in Kwadukuza, the home of one of South Africa’s greatest sons, Chief Albert Luthuli. And indeed, at his home. This is not just a location we are grounded in legacy and in memory.
Standing here, in a place that embodies resilience, and moral leadership, we are reminded that the values which guided Chief Albert Luthuli courage, fairness, and justice remain as relevant today as they were then. That the past always whispers lessons for the future.
As we confront new frontiers of digital transformation, we are again called to assert the same moral clarity…
- That innovation must serve humanity; that technology must advance equality, not deepen divides; and
- That, rights economic, cultural, and digital are inseparable from dignity.
Today’s discussion goes to the heart of exploring how technology intersects with creativity, it is about translating digital progress into inclusive and fair economic participation. It is about protecting the rights of creators, innovators, and workers, and about affirming that digital transformation must serve humanity.
And so, this conversation goes beyond celebrating innovation.
Economic and digital rights are not two separate conversations. They are two sides of the same coin.
When an artist’s work is used by artificial intelligence without consent, when data becomes the new currency, but workers have no say in how it is mined, when innovation grows but inequality widens, we are reminded that rights must evolve with technology.
Protecting economic and digital rights is not only a matter of justice, but also an investment in creativity, innovation, and sustainable growth. Because no economy can thrive if its creators cannot.
We know that the digital economy holds immense potential for growth and access. Yet, it also raises new questions: we must ask…
- Who benefits from digital innovation?
- Are artists, freelancers, and cultural practitioners adequately protected?
- Do our policies reflect the realities of the informal and gig-based creative economy?
These are not abstract concerns; they shape whether our societies can truly uphold economic justice and cultural diversity in the digital era.
Access to technology, fair remuneration, freedom of expression, and data protection all form part of a new human rights frontier. A frontier that needs stronger policy coherence, a frontier of bridging the digital economy, labour rights, intellectual property, and cultural policy frameworks to secure a future that is inclusive, ethical, and sustainable.
As members of the G20 Culture Working Group, we have the unique powers and influence to set the tone for global cooperation. We can build digital frameworks that place people at the centre where transparency, fair compensation, and respect for intellectual and cultural rights are non-negotiable.
Let us imagine a world where digital tools amplify local voices, where creators from small towns can reach global audiences without losing ownership, and where every innovation is guided by ethics, equity, and empathy.
Our challenge and our opportunity is to shape a digital future that reflects our shared humanity. A future where the artist, the coder, the teacher, and the entrepreneur stand on equal ground.
Thank you.
