Music Industries : Benin hosts the 2nd edition of SIMA, a hub for African music

Benin, the new hub for cultural and creative industries in Francophone Africa. From November 10 to 15, 2025, the country will host the second edition of the Salon of Francophone African Music Industries (SIMA), created in 2022 to promote talents and professions in music across the continent.

According to the organizers, the choice of Benin “is not accidental”: it highlights the country’s growing role as a musical and cultural hub. The event benefits from the institutional support of the Beninese Ministry of Tourism, Culture, and Arts and aims to attract around 7,000 participants, compared to 5,000 for the first edition in Abidjan.

Strengthening the Visibility and Sustainability of the African Music Industry

The theme of this edition, “From Potential to Proof, Promoting and Financing the Music of Francophone Africa,” illustrates the ambition to strengthen the visibility and sustainability of the music industry. The program will combine reflection and creativity around key topics: financing the music industry, intellectual property, data utilization, live market, new models of cooperation, and export.

SIMA 2025 will also offer an immersive artistic residency (November 10-12), a professional fair (November 13-14), and a public concert (November 15). This will be an opportunity for professionals and the public to discover innovations and foster collaborations.

Francophone Africa is full of talent. Without appropriate funding, these talents struggle to export and create lasting value

According to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, music revenues in Sub-Saharan Africa have surpassed $100 million (55.8 billion CFA francs) for the first time. Mamby Diomandé, founder and commissioner of SIMA, reminds that financing the music industries will be at the heart of discussions: “Francophone Africa is full of talent. Without appropriate funding, these talents struggle to export and create lasting value.”