Women working in live music as performers and in other onstage and behind-the-scenes roles in South Africa experience exclusion from decision-making, unequal pay, pressure to fit stereotyped roles, constant micro-aggressions, and real danger of gender-based violence. This is according to new industry research commissioned by the Southern African Music Rights Organisation (Samro).
Samro is South Africa’s oldest royalty collection and distribution organisation. Like other such South African bodies, it is industry-run and collects a percentage fee for artists whenever their work is performed, broadcast or otherwise commercially used. Concerned by reports of the poor treatment of female music creators and their under-representation in key roles, Samro began to focus on this issue in 2022.
