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Tech – The backbone of creativity in Johannesburg.
Images courtesy of [sight]less Studios
Johannesburg … eGoli, as our parents and elder family members call it. The city of gold – yet the gold isn’t in the ground anymore, it’s in the pockets and backpacks of those who create in the town. From Sandton to Soweto and everywhere in between, there is a creative being who sees their device as a tool they can use to bring generational wealth to their family, while also getting them closer to living life on their terms. It is undeniable that technology is the backbone of the creative community of Johannesburg, its people making use of various types of tech, from applications like GarageBand and DaVinci Resolve to laptops and smartphones. Many mix and match various technological innovations to express themselves, showcase the city, and, most importantly, to archive their existence for future generations to learn from them how to navigate the urban space. Let’s dive into eGoli to see firsthand how people are making use of technology to create and to connect. We also explore how they are preserving AI.
In South Africa’s most populous city, owning a smartphone is common, with many using it for work, social media, and to stay connected with their loved ones around the country. A growing number of these people are producing music from their phones. BandLab and GarageBand, an iOS-exclusive application, are the two standout apps. That one cannot use apps like these to make music that rivals the mainstream or that is universally loved by others is a common misconception. One musician who is challenging this view is BrotherKupa, who has taken a page from Steve Lacy’s handbook – they have produced music beloved by millions on the Garageband app. Kupa has taken the city by storm; he has production credits on numerous songs and has also popularised the sampling of classic house tracks that strike a chord with South Africans of all demographics. But his talents don’t end behind the boards – they extend all the way to the microphone. With four bodies of work under his belt and a host of successful singles, Kupa occupies the distinctive space of a musician who can do it all themselves. He has placed his career firmly in his own hands, providing himself with a platform to create without the worry that someone else will understand what he is attempting to execute.
Apps aren’t the only method used to create music in the city. While Kupa might thrive on working alone most of the time, others are leaning on one another and their communities. One group that embodies this collective ethos is The Qwellers, eight musicians and two producers who have taken the country by storm. They released numerous successful singles in the lead up to their April 2025 debut album, which was recorded on various shared Fruity Loops projects with home studio equipment. The B-side of the album features the boys singing Afro-pop love songs they have recently begun to perform with a live band. There’s a community, Your Weekly Touch Up, that religiously descends on Mamakashaka in Braamfontein every Wednesday and has been getting musicians to perform with a band for the past 102 weeks so that they can enjoy their favourite songs performed live. Many of those who grace this stage record their music digitally, the space allowing them and others to hear it without the gloss of the studio. This tends to create an intimate moment between the audience and the artists and has many realising that music is enjoyed most when it is performed with live instruments.
“I love South African Alternative music, especially on a [...] Wednesday!"
— Lwandile
Navigating your way around with instruments isn’t easy; this is why DJs tend to be the undisputed rulers of the vibes – they are the conductors. The club controllers. With such great power comes great responsibility, and one mistake can disrupt the flow of energy in a space. Modern turntables minimise the chances of disruption, assisting the DJ with built-in features like waveform display, beat matching, and sync, something you don’t necessarily realise as you are singing along to “What’s the qoh?” blaring through the speakers. The shift to digital music has surely at least reduced back and shoulder pain for DJs. Instead of dragging all their physical media with them to every gig, they can load over 1,000 songs on a USB or laptop for the turntables to read. This also allows them to stay on top of new music as, instead of having to crate dive for the single or album they want to add to their rotation, they can easily download it online. Most importantly, having their music in digital format ensures that they have unlimited plays; with physical media, once the disk, cassette, or vinyl gets damaged, it either won’t play at all or glitch while it does.
It is also true that technology has allowed for community building, making it easier for those without a tribe to find theirs, often on social media platforms like WhatsApp, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook. One particular group of people who are thriving in communities that are migrating to online spaces are those who enjoy fashion. From designers to models and enthusiasts, this niche of people uses social media as an image and video archive for their outfits, breaking them down for their audiences. Braam Fashion Week is a show that celebrates Johannesburg fashion, encouraging attendees to express themselves and their love for this creative form. The show is growing from season to season, providing a platform for designers to showcase their collections and becoming a launch pad not only for models but also for photographers, videographers, and journalists. In a global world, social media plays a vital role in gathering people around an idea or interest, including those who would be judged outside the internet.
“I heard about the casting on a group called UBC."
— Raven
Gamers are a group of people who were once judged harshly. They found peace and community online long before social media developed its chokehold on society. Goliath Gaming reckons 26.5 million people in South Africa play video games. This is the community that ITTHYNK is seeking to serve directly with their locally produced games. Video games are produced using software like Blender and Unity, allowing developer teams to bring their ideas to life. So far, ITTHYNK has produced and made available nine games, such as Plant Mom Match, Match 3, and Virtual Plant Care, which combines skateboarding and plant care. A fact that should be more widely known is that one can apply gaming software, and the skills gained in making games, to film to create VFX or an image that plays on screen behind the subjects. With the development of digital technologies, those whose creative outlet is the camera in their hands have gained almost unlimited potential to shoot whatever their heart desires. With the rapid development of digital technology for cameras, photographers, videographers, and cinematographers are now easily able to shoot in low light, something that used to be difficult to achieve. Cameras in phones have taken a great leap forward. Some phones can record video in 4K resolution, while many others have good HD recording capabilities. This allows people who have an interest in taking photos or making videos to practise their passion while they save up money for a camera. Modern entry-level cameras record video as well as take photos, saving people from buying two cameras.
All these advances benefit people who use such devices, as, in addition to democratising access to resources, software, and features that can make creating easier, technology also places everyone at the centre of a vast web of information they can use to teach themselves new skills. These skills can be learned on YouTube via a range of online schools, courses, and universities. Essentially, if you have an internet connection and are inquisitive, you don’t have to spend thousands acquiring skills and education from traditional sources. Technology also allows you to transfer the skills you have learned to others wherever they are, without your having to meet them physically at any time.
Although we may have gained all the benefits discussed here, the question remains: What is this unrivalled access doing to humanity? It has surely desensitised us. In the course of one social media session or Google search, you may see the most horrific images, and then, with one swipe down, you are being sold a get-rich-quick course that will give you ‘financial freedom’. This creates room for exploitation and provides businesses with direct access to your wallet, as everything seems urgent and can’t be missed. Online, it is too easy to make a financial decision you would have passed over had you seen it at a mall.
Let us not forget how companies have locked away behind subscription features that were freely available in prior versions of software, features that creatives need to fully execute or share their work. All these subscriptions add up for those who are yet to establish themselves; they are thus priced out, which leaves them having to find creative ways to access the software without having to pay for it. Many creatives use cracked software. This is one of the worst-kept secrets within creative communities, and yes, they do know that what they are doing is illegal. The question is, would you rather put food on the table or pay for one month of a Premiere Pro subscription? This also raises a concern many creators have: Why can’t they just purchase Photoshop once-off? In a world where everything is made available via subscription, creatives are asking for the return of once-off purchases. This would provide them with access to essential tools they need to create, even when, given that the industry is seasonal, they are not obtaining revenue to cover their living expenses. Companies seem to be looking the other way while, at the same time, making use of the work of creatives to train their AI models. Who is being exploited in this situation?
Compounding this issue, millions of people worldwide are losing their jobs to the AI frenzy. Yes, AI can help creatives to improve their existing work. This is great for individuals or small businesses who don’t have money to hire big teams, people like Hope Ramosepele, the founder of Umdanzi Creative, a creative agency that documents South African township culture. She handles all her work herself with the help of AI, as she doesn’t have the financial muscle to outsource some of the processes. Businesses often use AI to overhaul their marketing efforts in an attempt to reduce the bottom line. They can simply type in a prompt and be provided with every element they require to make advertisements. The subscription availability of these AI models benefits them. It is as if AI were created to serve businesses, though it is being advertised as a tool that will benefit broader society. At this point, it is merely a matter of businesses selling to one another. Again, it seems like technological advances can only be properly used by those who have money, thus leaving many people to scramble to try and find something that will continue feeding them.
The heart and voice behind the work still need to be human
— Katlego
And then just when you think you have dealt with all the negatives being thrown your way, the electricity switches off without any explanation, or according to the government’s schedule. South Africa is a country with an ailing energy supply. This affects productivity. It makes you realise that you would not survive in a society without electricity. In addition, you lose everything if the owner of the social media platform you share your work on decides to shut it down, never to return. This is disheartening, but let’s not be pessimistic. Yes, everything we do in the modern world requires electricity and some piece of technology. Let’s bring what we make into the physical world through film screenings, live performances, exhibitions, and gatherings. We are seeing this happen in real time in the city of gold. People are raising their eyes from their screens; they are searching for something real as they have realised that social media is a facade.
Now it’s your turn. Look at what’s around you, what pieces of technology can you make use of to bring your ideas to life? You see it? Use it and show others, both online and offline. You are currently living in the best time to create, as almost every medium has been democratised; use this to your advantage! No regrets.
