The Botswana-born digital marketplace is returning with a renewed push to help photographers, filmmakers, designers and sound creators monetise their intellectual property and reach buyers beyond local borders.
GAZETTE REPORTER
Dumela Creative Stock, a Botswana-founded digital marketplace for African creative content, is returning with a renewed focus on connecting local creators with buyers and markets beyond the country. The platform was originally established for photographers, videographers and sound creators seeking a commercial outlet for locally relevant content used in advertising, media, film and other applications.
Its return comes as Botswana places growing emphasis on the creative industries as a potential source of entrepreneurship, employment and economic diversification. Dumela says its central proposition remains helping creators make their work discoverable while creating opportunities to earn from the intellectual property they produce.
Market Gap
The platform was initially developed in response to what its founders identified as a shortage of authentic and relatable African photographs, video and audio available for commercial use. Its original model sought to connect that content with buyers while allowing creators to focus on producing work rather than managing every aspect of the commercial process.
Dumela Creative Stock currently provides access to photographs, videos, audio, vectors and other creative assets, with options for both buyers and creators. The platform’s return is intended to re-establish that link between African content producers and organisations looking for locally relevant creative material.
Beyond Exposure
Co-founder Itumeleng Garebatshabe said the platform’s ambition had always extended beyond operating as an online content library. “Dumela was never intended to simply be a place where people download pictures, videos or audio,” he said. “The bigger vision has always been to create a connection between the African creative and the market.”
Garebatshabe said the challenge for local creators was not only producing strong work, but finding commercial markets for it. He said Dumela wanted Botswana creatives to think beyond where their work could be seen locally and consider where it could travel across Africa and internationally.
Global Bridge
As the platform reconnects with photographers, filmmakers, designers, sound creators and other creative professionals, it is encouraging creators to retain ownership of their intellectual property, make their work discoverable and explore new commercial opportunities.
“We believe the next stage of Botswana’s creative economy will not only be about producing great work. It will be about ensuring that great work can find markets,” Garebatshabe said. He described Dumela’s intended role as a bridge connecting creators first to Botswana, then to the wider African market and ultimately to international buyers.