Orchestral Work
Professional orchestral conducting; artistic leadership and programming through Orchestral Arts Africa; African orchestral development; and international orchestral market access.
UNATHI MALUNGA
Music, law &
creative industries.
On the podium. At the policy table. Building the institutions around the cultural and creative industries.
Orchestral conductor • Entertainment & production lawyer • Creative-industry advocate, lobbyist & institution builder
South AfricaAfricaInternational
Unathi Malunga works where music, law and creative-industry power meet. She is a South African orchestral conductor, entertainment and production lawyer, policy advocate, lobbyist and institution builder. Her work moves between the podium, the policy table and the organisations that shape the cultural and creative industries: conducting orchestras, protecting creative rights, influencing policy, building industry institutions and strengthening the institutions, opportunities and professional pathways through which artists and creative practitioners can participate, develop and reach wider markets across South Africa, Africa and internationally. It is a connected practice: building stronger, fairer and more sustainable cultural and creative industries.
Different disciplines. One body of work: shaping how work in the cultural and creative industries is created, protected, financed, governed and sustained.
Explore the work
Creative Industries: Law, Policy, Advocacy, Lobbying & Leadership
Entertainment and production law, IP rights, policy, government engagement, sector advocacy, lobbying, institutional leadership and industry-building. Much of the current professional work is undertaken through Upliftment Africa.
Non-Profit & Public-Interest Work
Creative Feel NPC houses the non-profit work in arts, culture, heritage, education, knowledge-sharing and public-interest sector support.
Latest Writing
A curated gateway to long-form writing on Unathi’s thoughts on the creative industries, with full publication and subscriptions through Substack.
Editorial & Insights
From the Blog.
Music & Orchestral Arts
Listening before the downbeat
A useful rehearsal begins with a listening question. What should the ensemble hear differently when the next passage starts?
Knowledge, Education & Public Communication
Arts education that opens the door
Participation is shaped by transport, instruments, teaching and belonging. An accessible programme plans for all four.
Law, Rights & Business Affairs
Commissioning music with clear expectations
A creative brief becomes more useful when artistic expectations, delivery and intended uses are discussed together.
Africa & International
International collaboration starts with mutuality
Travel is only one part of a cultural exchange. The deeper work is deciding how partners share influence, resources and credit.
Technology & the Future of Creative Work
AI and creative rights: questions for 2026
A new WIPO initiative brings rights infrastructure into the AI conversation. Creative teams still need clear decisions about their own material.
Advocacy, Lobbying & Sector Representation
Turning sector concerns into a useful submission
A strong submission connects a specific concern to evidence and an actionable request. Start by checking the actual participation process.
Governance, Institutions & Accountability
Governance that supports the artistic mission
Artistic purpose and responsible oversight belong in the same conversation. A board needs information that connects them.
Creative Industries
The creative economy beyond the headline number
Growth figures matter, but creative businesses also need to understand who reaches audiences, on what terms and at whose cost.
Access, Inclusion & Participation
Cultural participation is a design question
Who can attend, contribute and influence a cultural programme depends on decisions made well before opening night.
Leadership, Work & Professional Life
October notebook: skills and cultural opportunities
A dated reading list for creative practitioners: skills development, cultural collaboration and the importance of checking opportunity status.
Music & Orchestral Arts
A South African visiting conductor in Europe
Unathi’s visiting-conductor work in Germany, within a programme shaped by orchestral exchange across Europe.
Enquiries & collaborations