Ethiopia is preparing to approve its first policy formalising the cinema and creative industries, a move designed to provide legal protections for artists while enabling the government to share in the economic benefits generated by the sector.
The creative economy in Ethiopia spans film, music, fashion, digital arts, and cultural festivals, directly employing hundreds of thousands and offering significant potential for job creation, particularly among youth and women. Yet, despite this promise, the sector has long been held back by regulatory gaps, weak intellectual property enforcement, and limited access to international markets.