Frustration is reaching boiling point in South Africa’s creative sector as artists continue to wait for outcome letters from the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture (DSAC) under the 2025 Mzansi Golden Economy (MGE) programme.
Despite the Department’s initial commitment to finalise and send all outcome letters by 31 July 2025, an official statement released today confirmed that the process has now been extended to 31 August 2025. The Department attributed the delay to the manual nature of the process, stating that each letter is “individually verified, quality checked and emailed,” a task taking longer than anticipated.
However, artists and stakeholders are not convinced that delays are merely due to logistics. The delays come at a time when the Department is under serious scrutiny.
The Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Sports, Arts, and Culture, Joe McGluwa, has lambasted the Department for allegedly awarding MGE funding to deregistered companies and entities with questionable compliance records. These allegations have raised deep concerns across the sector, with many questioning whether the delay in issuing outcome letters is linked to potential irregularities in the allocation of funds.
The announcement has added fuel to an already volatile situation, where artists are struggling to keep their projects alive and livelihoods intact. With limited resources and no clear communication from the Department beyond delays, many creatives are left wondering whether corruption or mismanagement is standing in the way of fair and timely support.
As artists continue to suffer, questions mount:
- What is truly causing the delay?
- Has the process been compromised by funding irregularities?
- And why are those who need support the most left in the dark?
The Department maintains that it is working diligently to complete the process and will provide detailed responses to all applicants, including reasons for any unsuccessful outcomes. However, for the creative community, these reassurances ring hollow against the backdrop of alleged misconduct.
With the new deadline now set for the end of August, the sector remains on edge, demanding transparency, accountability, and justice.
Hello lm Ernest keetile Molale in vryburg.from Baitshepi ba Thari entertainment and project Pty pls found these groups . always ther trying to apply no approved.no answer
1356 portion 9 black D Hammanskraal
Request for information how to apply online
This process is the actual block of the funds finding the artist 😔