🎨 GRAPHIC DESIGN🎬 FILMMAKING📸 PHOTOGRAPHY🎵 MUSIC✍️ WRITING👗 FASHION📱 CONTENT CREATION🎮 GAME DEVELOPMENT🏛 ARCHITECTURE🎭 PERFORMING ARTS🎙 PODCASTING✨ ANIMATION🖌 VISUAL ARTS💻 DIGITAL MEDIA🎨 GRAPHIC DESIGN🎬 FILMMAKING📸 PHOTOGRAPHY🎵 MUSIC✍️ WRITING👗 FASHION📱 CONTENT CREATION🎮 GAME DEVELOPMENT🏛 ARCHITECTURE🎭 PERFORMING ARTS🎙 PODCASTING✨ ANIMATION🖌 VISUAL ARTS💻 DIGITAL MEDIA
TOOLZ
ABOUT THE EXPO
AFRICA'S PREMIER CREATIVE EXPO
TOOLZ flips the script on how the creative economy has always worked. For years, creatives have been the ones exhibiting — taking their work to brand activations, corporate events, and consumer expos where they perform, display, and hope to be discovered. TOOLZ reverses that dynamic entirely.
At TOOLZ, the tools, platforms, financial products, and resources come to the creatives. The brands that want access to Africa's most talented and commercially active creative community have to show up, build something meaningful, and earn their place in the room. TOOLZ is the one moment in the year where the infrastructure moves toward the creative — not the other way around.
JOHANNESBURG
Q4 2027
3 DAYS
Of programming
R150 ENTRY
Per person
🎨
CREATIVE ECONOMY
Connecting Africa's fastest-growing sector — from film and fashion to tech and music.
🛠
TOOLS & RESOURCES
Every tool, resource, and service a creative professional needs — under one roof.
🌍
MADE FOR AFRICA
Built by Africans, for Africans. TOOLZ celebrates and elevates the continent's creative talent.
🤝
COMMUNITY FIRST
More than an expo — a movement rooted in 15 years of Creative Nestlings' community work.
BY THE #S
BY THE NUMBERS
THE SCALE OF TOOLZ 2027
1
10,000+
AFRICAN CREATIVES
Expected attendees
2
R100M+
FUNDING AVAILABLE
On-site to apply for
3
16
CREATIVE INDUSTRIES
All CCi sectors represented
4
5
EXHIBITION ZONES
Curated experience zones
5
100+
EXHIBITORS
Brands & companies
6
8
PANEL DISCUSSIONS
Expert-led sessions
05
THE 5 EXHIBITION ZONES
EVERY TOOL YOU NEED
Five zones, each targeting a critical need for African creatives. Tap any zone to explore.
Z1
Z1 — PHYSICAL CREATIVE TOOLS
HARDWARE
Try and buy cameras, phones, printers, audio gear, laptops, tablets, smart devices, editing stations and devices, hands-on.
↓ TAP TO EXPLORE
Z2
Z2 — DIGITAL TOOLS & PLATFORMS
SOFTWARE
Test and sign up for design, video, music and AI tools, with live demos.
↓ TAP TO EXPLORE
Z3
Z3 — FINANCE & OPERATIONS
BUSINESS
Open a business account, get paid, and sort legal, tax and insurance on the spot.
↓ TAP TO EXPLORE
Z4
Z4 — LEARN & GROW
EDUCATION
Find the schools, colleges, incubators, accelerators and residencies to study or grow with.
↓ TAP TO EXPLORE
Z5
Z5 — FUNDING & CAPITAL
INVESTMENT
Meet the organisations that finance creative work: banks, development finance institutions, funds, grantmakers, commissioners, labels, galleries and impact investors.
↓ TAP TO EXPLORE
15 YEARS
WHY WE'RE DOING THIS
15 YEARS IN THE MAKING
🌍
AFRICA IS READY
The African creative economy is projected to reach $20 billion. Our creatives need a home-grown platform to lead it.
⏳
15 YEARS IN THE MAKING
We didn't rush this. Every connection, every event, every creative we've supported has been preparation for TOOLZ.
🔥
THE MOVEMENT IS NOW
A new generation of African creatives are building global brands from Johannesburg. We are here to amplify that energy.
🤝
THE ECOSYSTEM EXISTS
For the first time, the partners, the venues, the community, and the infrastructure are all in place to do this at scale.
2010
Creative Nestlings founded
Born from a desire to give African creatives a platform and a voice.
2015
5 years of community building
Hundreds of creatives supported, mentored, and connected across Gauteng.
2020
A decade of impact
Through lockdowns and setbacks, the creative community proved its resilience.
2025
15 years. Time to go bigger.
The vision was always the expo. Now the timing, the team, and the moment are aligned.
WHO
WHO THIS IS FOR
IF YOU CREATE, THIS IS YOUR EXPO.
No gatekeeping. No suits-only. TOOLZ is the expo where Africa's next generation of creative professionals get the tools, the connections, and the bag.
🎵
THE MUSICIANS
You're making heat in your bedroom. Come find the equipment, distribution deals, and investors who'll take you global.
🎬
THE FILMMAKERS
From short films to full features — find cameras, editors, funders, and brands ready to collaborate on your next project.
✏️
THE DESIGNERS
Graphic, fashion, interior, digital — if you create visually, TOOLZ has the software, hardware, and clients you need.
📱
THE CONTENT CREATORS
You've built a following. Now monetise it properly. Discover brand deals, tools, and strategies to turn views into income.
🚀
THE HUSTLERS
Self-taught, no degree, just talent and drive. TOOLZ was built for you — access funding, mentorship, and real opportunities.
💡
THE ENTREPRENEURS
Your creative skills are a business. Come build it — meet investors, get legal advice, and connect with the ecosystem.
GGT2030-ALIGNED DEMOGRAPHICS
75%Youth aged 18–35
50%Women
10%Persons with Disabilities
40%+From TISH Areas
100%Gauteng-based workforce
THE 16 CREATIVE & CULTURAL INDUSTRIES + ECOSYSTEM DEVELOPMENT
Three days. One roof. Every tool, resource, connection and cheque a creative needs to turn talent into a business — under one roof, coming to you.
10,000+
CREATIVES IN THE ROOM
R100M+
FUNDING ON-SITE
8
EXPERT PANELS
3
DAYS OF PROGRAMMING
LAB
TOOLZ LABS · WORKSHOPS
SIT DOWN. BUILD SOMETHING.
Beyond the exhibition floor, brands host live workshops, masterclasses and build labs — hands-on sessions where you sit down with the tools provided and leave with a finished piece of work. Free to attend, running across all three days.
🎙
MASTERCLASSES
Industry experts lead hands-on sessions across all 16 creative disciplines.
🛠
BUILD LABS
Guided build sessions with tools provided on-site. Walk in, create, walk out with work.
🏆
COMPETITIONS
Live pitch battles, design challenges and performance contests with prizes.
🎁
GIVEAWAYS
Exhibiting brands activate with product drops, vouchers and equipment prizes.
MEET
NETWORKING
MEET 10,000+ CREATORS, INVESTORS & COLLABORATORS
Structured speed-networking, mentorship meet-ups and industry mixers put you in the room with the people who can change the trajectory of your creative career — fellow creators, potential investors, funders, brands and mentors.
🎨
CREATORS
10,000+ creatives across film, fashion, music, design, tech and more.
💰
INVESTORS & FUNDERS
Banks, DFIs, investment funds, grantmakers and impact investors looking for creative talent.
🤝
COLLABORATORS
Find your co-founder, producer, designer or team for the next project.
🧭
MENTORS
Structured meet-ups with established industry leaders and operators.
R100M+
FUNDING ON-SITE
APPLY FOR FUNDING ON THE FLOOR
R100M+ in funding from arts councils, development finance institutions and creative economy funds is accessible on-site. Apply directly to the people holding the cheque — from R1,000 micro-grants to R5M+ growth capital.
ARTS COUNCILSDEVELOPMENT FINANCECREATIVE ECONOMY FUNDSMICRO-GRANTSGROWTH CAPITAL
REGISTER
BUSINESS REGISTRATION
WALK IN A FREELANCER. WALK OUT A BUSINESS.
Business registration, tax compliance and rights society sign-ups all happen live on-site. Leave TOOLZ formally constituted, tax-ready and set up to collect royalties.
01
COMPANY REGISTRATION
Register your business formally, on-site, with the relevant authority.
02
TAX COMPLIANCE
Get SARS tax-ready and compliant before you leave the venue.
03
RIGHTS SOCIETIES
Sign up to royalty-collecting societies and start earning from your work.
TOOLS
GEAR & DEALS
GET YOUR TOOLS — DEMOS, DEALS & RENT-TO-OWN
Test cameras, laptops, software and creative equipment hands-on, then walk away with show-exclusive deals and rent-to-own options direct from the brands. The gear comes to you.
Industry leaders share playbooks on monetisation, branding, IP and the creative economy across 8 curated panels over 3 days. Real strategies, not theory.
01MONETISATION
02BRANDING
03INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
04THE CREATIVE ECONOMY
TICKETS
GET IN
TIERED TICKETS FROM R150
Flexible, tiered pricing so every creative can access the tools and resources they need. Three days of programming, labs, networking and funding access — all included.