For generations, aspiring musicians have been told that talent is the ticket into the music industry. But in an industry that has become increasingly complex, having a great voice, writing a hit song or producing a viral track is no longer enough to build a sustainable career.
Young artists also need to understand the business behind their artistry, from publishing and royalties to recording, A&R, marketing, funding and deal-making.
That is the thinking behind the Jazz Wise Youth Music Business Workshop presentation by the Standard Bank Joy of Jazz festival on September 17 at Joburg Theatre in Braamfontein.
The full-day workshop will bring together young musicians, students and emerging creative professionals with established figures from South Africa’s music and cultural industries.
Facilitated by singer, television presenter and creative entrepreneur Pilani Bubu, the workshop will tackle some of the issues that can determine whether a young artist builds a lasting career or struggles to navigate an industry they do not fully understand.
Bubu brings wealth of experience to facilitator role
Bubu, a SAMA Award-winning artist and producer of the Folklore Festival, brings experience in brand-building, budgeting, grant applications, deal-making and producing other artists. The workshop will explore areas including songwriting, A&R, recording, publishing, marketing, investment and sustainability.
For young musicians, those subjects can be just as important as what happens in the recording studio. The first panel, Risk Capital for Culture, asks a question many emerging artists eventually face: who funds what?
The panel features Violet Maila, who leads the Music in Africa Foundation’s South African operations and its Music in Africa Live tour grant programme; Dorine Lebreton, Deputy Director at the French Institute of South Africa; and Caroline Christgau, Project Coordinator for Music and Creative Economy at Goethe-Institute Johannesburg. The panel brings together professionals involved in funding, cultural programmes, touring and creative development.
For an emerging musician who has the talent but lacks the resources to record, tour or develop their work, understanding where funding exists and what funders expect can be critical.
Can talent alone hold it down?
The second panel, From Classrooms to the Global Stage, tackles another important question: can talent alone hold it down?
Dr Phuti Sepuru, a jazz pianist, educator and musicologist, will join composer, arranger, bassist, vocalist, arts researcher and lecturer Chantal-Willie Petersen.
They will be joined by Croatian-born South African-based jazz vocalist and composer Ziza Muftic, as well as guitarist and Standard Bank Young Artist Award winner Vuma Levin.
The discussion speaks to the gap between being good at your craft and understanding how to build a career around it.
A musician may know how to perform but still struggle with contracts. An artist may have thousands of streams but not understand publishing. A songwriter may create a successful composition without fully understanding how their rights and royalties work.
And as streaming platforms and social media increasingly influence how music is discovered and consumed, the traditional route from discovering an artist to signing them has changed.
The third panel, Purpose Value Versus Industry Value, tackles perhaps one of the most difficult questions for artists: can you stay true to your purpose and still get paid?
Hosted by drummer, author and academic Tumi Mogorosi, the panel features independent singer-songwriter Internet Athi, musician and producer Ndumiso Manana, and Nontando Mokoena, Project Manager for the SAMPRA Development Fund.
Internet Athi offers a particularly relevant perspective for young musicians navigating the modern industry. Her music has accumulated more than a million streams without her being attached to a record label, raising questions about what independence looks like in practice.
How does an independent artist turn streaming attention into income? When is it worth signing with a label? And what should an artist understand before agreeing to a deal?
Manana, the 2026 Standard Bank Young Artist for Music, brings another perspective as an artist and founder of Manana Music, while Mokoena brings insight into rights, funding and artist development.
The conversations are therefore not simply about becoming famous.They are about understanding what happens after the applause.
Building artists who can build businesses
The workshop reflects a growing need for young creatives to understand the commercial side of their careers while protecting the artistic identity that brought audiences to them in the first place.
Standard Bank Group Head of Sponsorship Bonga Sebesho says Jazz Wise reflects the bank’s commitment to investing in the next generation of creative talent by giving young people access to knowledge, networks and entrepreneurial skills.
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Joy of Jazz CEO and curator Mantwa Chinoamadi says young musicians should leave spaces such as Jazz Wise with more than inspiration. They should leave with industry knowledge, real networks and the confidence to turn talent into enterprise.
The workshop is aimed at high school students, university students and young professionals. It will also serve as a platform for the intake of interns for the year.
For many aspiring musicians, the difficult part of building a career may not be finding their sound. It may be learning how to protect it, market it, fund it and turn it into a sustainable livelihood.
The Jazz Wise Youth Music Business Workshop takes place on Thursday, September 17, from 09:00 to 16:30 at Joburg Theatre in Braamfontein.
- The Jazz Wise Youth Music Business Workshop by the Standard Bank Joy of Jazz festival takes place on September 17 at Joburg Theatre in Braamfontein.
- The workshop is facilitated by Pilani Bubu, a SAMA Award-winning artist and producer with experience in brand-building, budgeting, grant applications, and deal-making.
- The event features panels on funding for culture, navigating a music career beyond talent, and balancing artistic purpose with industry financial realities.
- Speakers include Violet Maila, Dorine Lebreton, Caroline Christgau, Dr. Phuti Sepuru, Chantal-Willie Petersen, Ziza Muftic, Vuma Levin, Internet Athi, Ndumiso Manana, and Nontando Mokoena.
- The workshop targets high school and university students, young professionals, and aims to provide industry knowledge, networks, and career-building skills in the music business.
For generations, aspiring musicians have been told that talent is the ticket into the music industry. But in an industry that has become increasingly complex, having a great voice, writing a hit song or producing a viral track is no longer enough to build a sustainable career.
Facilitated by singer, television presenter and creative entrepreneur Pilani Bubu, the workshop will tackle some of the issues that can determine whether a young artist builds a lasting career or struggles to navigate an industry they do not fully understand.
Bubu, a SAMA Award-winning artist and producer of the Folklore Festival, brings experience in brand-building, budgeting, grant applications, deal-making and producing other artists.
For young musicians, those subjects can be just as important as what happens in the recording studio.
For an emerging musician who has the talent but lacks the resources to record, tour or develop their work, understanding where funding exists and what funders expect can be critical.
Dr Phuti Sepuru, a jazz pianist, educator and musicologist, will join composer, arranger, bassist, vocalist, arts researcher and lecturer Chantal-Willie Petersen.
A musician may know how to perform but still struggle with contracts. An artist may have thousands of streams but not understand publishing. A songwriter may create a successful composition without fully understanding how their rights and royalties work.
Hosted by drummer, author and academic Tumi Mogorosi, the panel features independent singer-songwriter Internet
Internet
How does an independent artist turn streaming attention into income? When is it worth signing with a label?
Manana, the 2026
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Joy of Jazz CEO and curator Mantwa Chinoamadi says young musicians should leave spaces such as Jazz Wise with more than inspiration.
For many aspiring musicians, the difficult part of building a career may not be finding their sound. It may be learning how to protect it, market it, fund it and turn it into a sustainable livelihood.
