The Loeries are billed as Africa and the Middle East's premier brand communications festival. Cape Town's partnership with the event goes back several years. The City hosted Loeries Creative Week for the fourth consecutive year in October 2024. The festival has a long link to the city. Creative Week began as a legacy event tied to Cape Town's World Design Capital bid. The City also presents itself as an official UNESCO City of Design. Event support of this kind is usually handled through the City's Film and Events directorate. It can include cash sponsorship, in-kind support such as venue use, and waivers of fees and tariffs.
Earlier economic impact figures were smaller than those cited in the debate. In 2022, BDO reported that the Loeries contributed over R90m to the City's GDP, through 17 official events and 13 partner events. The programme normally includes expos, masterclasses, a student expo, an international seminar and the awards evenings. Partners have included the City, SABC, SAB, Primedia, Heineken and eMedia. Alcohol-industry sponsors such as SAB and Heineken appear in that list, which bears on concerns about sponsorship dependence.
For 2026, Loeries Creative Week runs from Sunday 4 October to Friday 9 October in Cape Town. Leonora de Souza-Zilwa, the City's Director of Film & Events, has welcomed the event's return. The question for citizens is whether public money for large events gives measurable benefits, such as jobs, skills transfer and inclusion of township-based creatives, and not only a boost to tourism and the City's image.
