South Africa: Twelve women to be trained in technical live performance roles in Johannesburg in late October 2026

The Music In Africa Foundation is accepting applications until October 10, 2026, at 11:59 PM (Central Africa Time) for Gender@Work, a training program for technical live performance roles reserved for women, held from October 26 to 31, 2026, in Johannesburg.

A maximum of twelve spots are available. The program is supported by the foundation alongside the Gauteng Department of Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation and the South African National Arts Council, according to the call for applications published on October 6, 2026, by Music In Africa.

Stage management, sound, lighting

The curriculum includes: event organization and production, stage management, basics of concert sound engineering, fundamentals of stage lighting, and a session dedicated to gender issues in live music. Participants will put theory into practice during ACCES 2026, the pan-African music industry conference, which takes place from October 28 to 31, 2026, in Johannesburg.

Who can apply

The training is aimed at women residing in Africa and the Indian Ocean region who are of legal age, have at least two years of experience in live events, and are available for the entire duration of the program. Proficiency in English is required; a higher education degree in a relevant field is an asset but not mandatory. Applications must be submitted exclusively via an online form: email submissions are not accepted.

Selected participants will receive meals, local transportation, compensation for work performed during ACCES, a certificate of completion, and access to an online course on the music industry.

A clear limitation

However, travel and accommodation remain the responsibility of candidates who do not reside in South Africa. This is a concrete barrier for technicians from West Africa, the Sahel, Central Africa, or the Indian Ocean, even though the program specifically aims to open up stage management, sound, and lighting positions to them.

The stakes go beyond these twelve spots. The African scene exports its artists, but the roles behind the scenes—those who decide if a concert sounds right and if a tour holds up—remain a bottleneck on the continent. Training stage managers and sound engineers in Johannesburg means working on this human infrastructure, which is less visible than a lineup of headliners, but just as decisive.