Deputy Minister Zuko Godlimpi addresses World Intellectual Property Day celebration, 25 Apr

The Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (the dtic), in partnership with the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC), Small Enterprise Development and Finance Agency (Sedfa), National Intellectual Property Management Office (NIPMO), Technology Innovation Agency (TIA), Durban Film Festival (DFO) and Mangosuthu University of Technology (MUT) will celebrate the World Intellectual Property Day (WIPD) on Friday, 25 April 2025 in Umlazi, KwaZulu-Natal. The theme for this year’s WIPD is Intellectual Property and Music – Feel the Beat. The Deputy Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, Mr Zuko Godlimpi will address the celebrations.

The World Intellectual Property Organisation’s (WIPO) member states designated the 26^th of April every year as the day on which the world will celebrate Intellectual Property (IP). The objective of the day is to celebrate the importance of IP and to stimulate innovation and creativity. This year’s celebration aims to highlight the critical role that IP plays in South Africa’s dynamic music industry, which has experienced remarkable growth in recent years.

According to the Deputy Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, Mr Zuko Godlimpi, with the theme IP and Music, the 2025 World IP Day celebration aims to bring together experts from academia, industry, students, and creative artists to celebrate and deepen understanding of IP in the music industry.

“The event will also highlight the role that IP plays in protecting the rights of musicians, songwriters, producers, and all creatives within the music industry. The objective of the event will also be to motivate and inspire musicians to embrace IP as a tool for their career growth and sustainability in the music industry,” says Godlimpi.

Godlimpi adds that the event will give stakeholders an opportunity to promote collaboration by strengthening partnerships among universities, the entertainment industry and Intellectual Property practitioners to create a supportive environment for the music sector.

Godlimpi also emphasises that Intellectual Property rights are fundamental in ensuring that artists retain control over their creations and receive fair compensation.

In South Africa, organisations such as the Southern African Music Rights Organisation (SAMRO) play a pivotal role in protecting the intellectual property of music creators by licensing music users, collecting license fees, and distributing royalties. SAMRO represents more than 15 000 Southern African music composers, lyricists, authors, and music publishers, administering performing rights on their behalf.

From the 16- 25 April 2025, the South African World Intellectual Property Day partner departments and institutions will embark on a radio and social media campaign, and a webinar to celebrate this event.

This year’s celebration will take place as follows:

DATE	ACTIVITY	TIME AND VENUE
16 April 2025	Media Launch	09:00 – 14:00 Mangosuthu University of Technology
24 April 2025	Road Show	08:30 – 15:00 Durban Botanic Gardens
25 April 2025	Main Day Event	09:00 – 14:00 Mangosuthu University of Technology

 

Media enquiries:
Bongani Lukhele – Director: Media Relations
Tel: (012) 394 1643
Mobile: 079 5083 457
WhatsApp: 074 2998 512
E-mail: BLukhele@thedtic.gov.za

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