In a major announcement at the World Economic Forum, International advocacy organization Global Citizen, creative imprint pgLang, and the Presidents of Ghana and Rwanda revealed that Accra, Ghana, is set to join Kigali as a host city for this year’s Move Afrika: A Global Citizen Experience tour. The initiative aims to pioneer an unprecedented international music touring circuit across Africa, promoting economic investment, job creation, and supporting entrepreneurship opportunities in each host country, with pgLang serving as the tour’s curator.
Following the resounding success of last month’s inaugural Move Afrika: Rwanda, headlined by Grammy Award, Pulitzer Prize-winning artist, Kendrick Lamar, the second leg of the tour promises to bring another wave of transformative impact. The Rwandan event, created by Global Citizen and pgLang in collaboration with the Rwanda Development Board, employed over 1,000 locals, engaging 75 percent of the crew and production staff locally. Kendrick Lamar’s headline performance was accompanied by a stellar lineup including Zuchu, Bruce Melodie, DJ TOXXYK, Sherrie Silver, Ariel Wayz, Kivumbi King, and Bruce The 1st.
The Move Afrika initiative is not new to Ghana, having previously hosted the Global Citizen Festival: Accra in 2022. The festival’s post-event analysis demonstrated a significant social and economic impact, injecting over $15 million into the economy through production spending, hotels, transport, advertising, and security. Moreover, the festival attracted over 5,000 international visitors, employed more than 1,000 Ghanaians, and spurred a surge in hotel occupancy to 75 percent. Global citizens worldwide took over 2 million actions as part of advocacy efforts to End Extreme Poverty NOW during the festival.
Move Afrika: Ghana is a continuation of Global Citizen’s commitment to leverage live music events for social and economic impact. The tour’s expansion to Accra aligns with its broader goal to revolutionize live entertainment in Africa, investing in local economies, skill training, and youth entrepreneurship. Each year, additional countries will be added to the Move Afrika tour schedule, aiming to reach three countries in 2024 and five countries by 2025.
H.E. Nana Akufo-Addo, President of Ghana, expressed excitement about Global Citizen’s return to Ghana and the transformative potential of Move Afrika. He highlighted the organization’s reputation for leveraging live music events to engage youth and create social and economic impact. President Akufo-Addo anticipates continued impact in the years ahead and celebrates this milestone for Ghana.
President Paul Kagame of Rwanda congratulated President Akufo-Addo for partnering with Move Afrika, reminiscing about the success of the inaugural Move Afrika concert in Rwanda. Kagame emphasized the importance of mentorship and support for African talent, acknowledging Global Citizen’s commitment to developing the workforce needed for professional concert tours, leaving a lasting economic legacy for the region.
Kweku Mandela, Chief Vision Officer of Global Citizen, expressed honor in bringing Move Afrika to Ghana and emphasized the showcase of African creative talent to the world. He highlighted the initiative’s potential to generate economic investment into the local creative economy, leaving a lasting impact across the continent.
pgLang, reflecting on their first visit to Accra in 2022, expressed excitement about working with Move Afrika and expanding their efforts to Ghana. The organization sees Accra as a special place and is eager to contribute to the success of Move Afrika: Ghana.
Move Afrika: Ghana builds on the success of previous campaigns and events across the African continent, including the recent Move Afrika: Rwanda. Further details about this year’s Move Afrika: A Global Citizen Experience tour, including event dates and lineups, will be announced in the coming months. For more information, visit moveafrika.org, and stay tuned for updates on this transformative musical journey across Africa.
