Nelson Mandela University and the Motion Picture Association (MPA) have entered into a landmark collaboration to strengthen independent research into digital piracy and its impact on Africa’s creative economy.
The partnership, formalised through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), brings together the MPA’s global expertise in content protection and the research capabilities of the South African Cultural Observatory (SACO), hosted by Nelson Mandela University.
The agreement represents the MPA’s first research collaboration of its kind in Africa and establishes a framework for joint research and consulting initiatives focused on piracy, the creative economy and other areas of shared interest.
First research project to investigate piracy and cybersecurity risks
The first research project emerging from the partnership will investigate the cybersecurity risks consumers may face when accessing pirated content in South Africa, Kenya and Nigeria.
The study aims to generate locally relevant evidence on the relationship between digital piracy and cybersecurity threats, including the potential exposure of consumers to fraudulent websites, malware and other online risks associated with illegal content services.
MPA Senior Executive Vice-President and Global General Counsel Karyn Temple said evidence-based research was essential to developing effective policy responses to piracy.
“At the MPA, we strongly believe that effective policymaking starts with evidence,” said Temple.
She noted that South Africa’s growing creative sector presents significant opportunities for local storytelling, investment and economic development, while piracy threatens creators, consumers and legitimate businesses.
The research will also contribute to ongoing discussions around enforcement mechanisms in South Africa, including site blocking, by providing evidence about the real-world consequences and risks associated with online piracy.
“Our goal is not simply to better understand the problem, but to help turn evidence into action – supporting concrete, effective and proportionate enforcement measures that protect audiences, strengthen the legitimate creative economy, and allow South African stories and storytellers to thrive,” said Temple.
Research with continental relevance
Nelson Mandela University Vice-Chancellor Professor Sibongile Muthwa said the partnership reflected the University’s commitment to research that responds to challenges at the intersection of technology, culture and the digital economy.
“This partnership brings together complementary expertise to deepen our understanding of an increasingly complex challenge at the intersection of technology, culture, consumer safety and the creative economy,” said Professor Muthwa.
She added that research of this nature aligns with the University’s ambition to produce impactful, relevant research capable of contributing meaningfully to society and the African continent.
For SACO Executive Director Unathi Lutshaba, the collaboration presents an opportunity to strengthen research capacity while addressing the rapidly changing technological environment.
“Understanding the risks facing our creative economy is the first step to protecting it,” said Lutshaba.
“This partnership gives South African and regional researchers direct access to global expertise on these questions, at a time when they matter more than ever.”
Lutshaba said the agreement would deepen cooperation in areas where culture, technology, digital safety and the creative economy increasingly overlap.
Protecting Africa’s growing creative economy
The collaboration comes as film, television and streaming continue to play an increasingly important role in Africa’s creative economies.
While digital platforms have expanded access to entertainment and created new opportunities for creators, producers and legitimate businesses, illegal piracy services can undermine these gains by affecting revenues, employment and investment across the creative value chain.
Consumers can also face cybersecurity risks when interacting with illicit websites and services, including potential exposure to fraud, malware and other online threats.
Building a stronger evidence base is therefore an important part of developing effective responses to digital piracy.
Through its work with governments, law-enforcement agencies, technology companies and creative-sector partners globally, the MPA advocates for approaches to combating piracy that are effective, proportionate and supportive of legitimate online activity.
The Nelson Mandela University-MPA collaboration creates a platform for African-focused research and evidence-based dialogue on these challenges, while strengthening the capacity of researchers to examine how piracy affects consumers, creators and the broader creative economy.
About the Motion Picture Association
The Motion Picture Association (MPA) represents and advocates for the global motion picture, home entertainment and television industries. Its work includes supporting the creative sector, protecting content across platforms, defending the creative and artistic freedoms of storytellers, and promoting innovative distribution models.
MPA member studios include Netflix, Paramount Pictures, Prime Video & Amazon MGM Studios, Sony Pictures, Universal Studios, The Walt Disney Studios and Warner Bros. Discovery. Charles Rivkin serves as Chairman and CEO.
About SACO and Nelson Mandela University
The South African Cultural Observatory (SACO) is a national research centre focused on developing a comprehensive cultural information system for South Africa and generating evidence on the country’s cultural and creative economy.
Conceived in 2013 through the Mzansi Golden Economy strategy, SACO is a project of the South African Department of Sport, Arts and Culture (DSAC) hosted by Nelson Mandela University in partnership with the University of KwaZulu-Natal and Rhodes University.
The new collaboration with the MPA strengthens SACO’s role in producing research that responds to emerging challenges across culture, technology, digital safety and the creative economy.
