French cultural and creative industry leaders embark on ICC Immersion 2025 in South Africa
Launched in 2022 under the France 2030 plan, ICC Immersion is co-ordinated by the French General Secretariat for Investment (Secrétariat Général pour l'Investissement ) and driven by the French Institute and Business France headquarters in Paris, with support from the Banque des Territoires, the Ministry of Culture, and the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs. ICC Immersion has been successfully run in over a dozen countries, including Australia, Canada, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan and the UK. The 2025 edition is implemented by IFAS and Business France in Johannesburg.
Strengthening French-South African relations
ICC Immersion offers a unique opportunity to strengthen bilateral cultural ties while shining a spotlight on local talent, institutions, and innovation to a global network. By connecting French creatives and organisations with South African counterparts, the program stimulates knowledge exchange, co-creation, and potential investment in the cultural economy. It also opens doors for long-term collaboration in sectors ranging from fashion and architecture to heritage preservation and digital media.
His Excellency Mr David Martinon, French Ambassador to South Africa, Lesotho, and Malawi, stated: 'ICC Immersion 2025 underscores France's focus on cultural diplomacy and creative entrepreneurship in South Africa and beyond. With a long-standing partnership across sectors, the programme highlights the mutual value of creative collaboration.'
Meet the 2025 delegation from France
This year's participating companies reflect the diversity and innovation of France's cultural and creative sectors:
ALLEGRIA is a veteran event communications and business tourism agency known for immersive and monumental projections, producing lifestyle and cultural events for up to 180,000 attendees.
Atrack (Beam for Music) helps artists and music publishers optimise royalty tracking and revenue recovery through advanced technology and data visualisation tools.
Agence Culturelle PLUS (Reunion Island) is a cultural think tank facilitating dialogue between arts, heritage, and people, while revitalising traditional mediation tools through site-specific projects and festivals.
Culturespaces manages 14 renowned cultural and heritage sites including the Atelier des Lumières in Paris, offering immersive exhibitions and audiovisual experiences across France and abroad.
Fabrik & Moi (Reunion Island) is a high-end fashion brand focused on ethical and sustainable textile innovation, with a CSR-led project that transforms used fabrics into luxury pieces—featured most recently at Paris Fashion Week.
France Muséums Développement provides strategic consulting for major museum projects globally, leveraging the expertise of leading French museums to foster cultural impact and audience engagement.
Jakob + MacFarlane is a cutting-edge architecture and urban design firm known for socially committed, environmentally innovative projects across sectors—from museums and theatres to housing and research labs.
Memorist brings together five French heritage firms to offer services in conservation, restoration, digitisation, and promotion of tangible and intangible cultural assets worldwide.
SoundBirth is the first French startup to deliver an all-in-one mobile platform for artists, combining global music distribution, social media promotion, and AI-powered career support.
ICC Immersion 2025 highlights
The ICC Immersion programme began in April 2025 with an online immersion phase featuring market insight sessions and expert-led discussions. From 23 June to 2 July 2025, participants will take part in a 10-day physical immersion across Johannesburg, Pretoria, and Cape Town, including B2B meetings, site visits, and high-level networking events. A highlight of the programme will be the ICC Forum, to be held on 25 June 2025 at the French Residence, which is designed to deepen dialogue and foster networking opportunities between French and South African creatives and businesses.
For more information about ICC Immersion South Africa 2025, visit:
https://frenchinstitute.org.za/applications/arts-and-creative-industries/icc-immersion-programme/
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