When the Council of Event Professionals Africa (CEPA) started developing our professional designations for event management, they were always intended to cover event organisers working across multiple fields, including music, sport, cultural and creative events, wedding planners, and community events.

While there’s a core skillset common to all event organisers, music and live entertainment events have an added complexity because the costs of organising live music performances are high, visitors' needs are constantly changing, and competition plays a major role in the success of such events. Furthermore, management needs to be aware of the ever-changing external environment by determining what factors visitors consider vital for a rewarding experience at a major music event.

Over the years, several efforts have been made to professionalise the live performance industry. In 1994, music promoters established the African Promoters Consultative Committee, which later became the African Promoters Organisation (AFPRO). In 2000, the organisation was restructured to become the South African Music Promoters Association (SAMPA).

SAMPA’s mission was to empower South African music promoters through networking and cooperation and to ensure that promoters' events were aesthetically representative of local culture. One of its objectives has been to raise the standard of promoters and events across the African continent.

At the peak of its membership, during the decade preceding the FIFA World Cup in 2010, the Association claimed almost 400 members and was active in all provinces across the country. Unfortunately, membership declined during the decade following the World Cup, and the Association’s focus shifted to driving a transformation agenda in the live events industry. SAMPA executives played a leading role in the Event Technical Production Services Transformation Forum jointly established by the Department of Trade & Industry and the Department of Arts & Culture. SAMPA Treasurer Oupa Salemane has served as Forum chair since the ETPSI Forum was established in 2011.

When the COVID-19 pandemic struck in March 2020, SAMPA had been dormant for several years, and a new organisation known as the South African Live Promoters Association (SALPA) surfaced. SALPA was an active member of the SA Events Council and worked closely with SACIA in our engagements with government and regulatory bodies, including DSAC, the National Department of Health, the Department of Employment & Labour, NEDLAC, and NATJOINTS. Despite our shared success in engaging with government and regulatory bodies during the COVID pandemic, SALPA’s existence was short-lived. The organisation dissolved shortly after the lifting of the State of National Disaster on 4 April 2022.

In 2024, SAMPA and SACIA signed a Memorandum of Understanding to drive the professionalisation of the live events industry in Africa. The intention is not only to revive SAMPA’s operational capacity, but also to:

• Professionalise the music sector with a specific focus on live music events. This will include event management, event safety and event technical components.
• Promote the adoption of professional standards in the live music sector
• Encourage a commitment to continuing professional development by music promoters
• Encourage music promoters to apply for a professional designation in event management
• Protect the public against unethical or unprofessional conduct by music promoters.