Cape Town’s new creative hub offers free support for entrepreneurs

A new hub aimed at supporting creative entrepreneurs across Africa has opened in Cape Town, offering free workspace, mentorship and technology support.

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Located at the Homecoming Centre in District Six, the Timbuktoo Creative Hub is the first of its kind on the continent, specifically designed for businesses in creative-tech sectors like fashion, animation, music, AR/VR and textiles.

The initiative is backed by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Western Cape Department of Economic Development and Tourism (Dedat), UVU Africa, the Craft and Design Institute, and Snake Nation.

UVU Africa will run the hub via its UVU Accelerate programme, offering facilities such as co-working spaces with WiFi, access to an entrepreneur-in-residence, and guidance on using technology to build and scale creative businesses.

Creative entrepreneurs will also be able to host events, access networking opportunities, and plug into a broader African innovation platform. Over 280 businesses have already applied for accelerator support since the announcement.

The Timbuktoo Creative Hub is part of UNDP’s pan-African strategy to unlock innovation-led growth. It aims to help entrepreneurs move from concept to scale while contributing to broader economic transformation.