South African Cultural Observatory

The South African Cultural Observatory (SACO) is a statistical research institute set up in 2015 (for an initial period of 3 years) to chart the impact of the cultural and creative industries in South Africa, using a range of statistical methodologies, audits and research tools. The core aim of the Cultural Observatory is to set up a comprehensive cultural information system which can captures cultural data on an ongoing basis, and monitor government initiatives in the sector.

The headquarters of the Cultural Observatory are in Nelson Mandela Bay and hosted by the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU), on behalf of the Department of Arts and Culture, in association with Rhodes University and the University of Fort Hare. The first CEO of SACO was Prof. Richard Haines of the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University.

They held their first national conference in Port Elizabeth from Monday, 16 to Tuesday, 17 May 2016.

In 2017 they launched the South African Festival Economic Impact Calculator, a free, online calculator designed to produce a calculated estimate the economic impact of a festival or event on a host economy.