Since launching June 2025 in South Africa, Canon’s Miraisha Programme has trained approximately 130 aspiring photographers, filmmakers and visual storytellers. Around 80 people have taken part in face-to-facetraining, while a further 50 have joined online – a significant step forward for a programme designed to turn creative potential into practical skills and sustainable livelihoods.
The figures mark an important shift for Miraisha locally. What began with an initial cohort of 15 participants has grown into a broader skills platform, reaching young people beyond a single workshop or institutionand building a foundation for further growth.
That progress matters in a country where many young people are searching for viable ways into work. South Africa has no shortage of creative talent, but talent alone does not provide access to professional equipment,technical training, industry networks or the business knowledge needed to build a career. Miraisha is designed to help close that gap.
Turning creative ability into working knowledge
The programme combines technical training in photography and filmmaking with the commercial skills required to operate in the creative industry. Participants learn how to work confidently with professional equipment,understand light and exposure, develop their visual language and approach an assignment with greater intention.
Just as importantly, the training looks beyond the image itself. Young creatives are introduced to the realities of pitching, working with clients, managing accounts and understanding the value of their work.These are often the skills that determine whether creativity remains a passion or becomes a source of income.
“We wanted to make sure participants left with not just camera skills but with a sense of inspiration and fulfilment too,” says Roger Machin, ICB Business Development Manager at Canon South Africa. “The true valueof the Miraisha Programme lies in its focus on commercial creativity, teaching young artists how to pitch to clients, manage accounts, understand their value and view their craft through an entrepreneurial lens.”
Building local capacity
A central part of Miraisha’s long-term impact is the development of South African trainers who can carry the programme forward. Mancoba Msibi is currently the programme’s certified trainer in South Africa, withanother local trainer in the final stages of certification.
Growing the local trainer base strengthens the programme’s ability to reach more participants while keeping the training relevant to the realities of South Africa’s creative sector. It also means that knowledgecan continue to circulate within the communities the programme aims to serve.
Partnerships that extend the reach
Miraisha’s progress has been shaped by partnerships with organisations that already understand and work closely with young people. Canon is currently partnering with SOS Children’s Villages and Youth Content Collective – YCC to bring the programme to more participants. Its earlier collaboration with the Market Photo Workshop helpedestablish Miraisha’s local footprint and introduced the programme to its first South African cohort.
The focus now is on growing that network. Canon is exploring new collaborations for 2027 that can help the programme reach more young creatives and create stronger pathways between training, mentorship and opportunity.
A wider South African and regional footprint
Johannesburg and Cape Town remain the immediate priorities as Miraisha builds depth in its current markets. Looking ahead, Canon is considering future expansion into Durban and Gqeberha, as well as opportunitiesto take the programme into Botswana and potentially Zimbabwe.
Expansion will be guided by the right local partnerships and the programme’s ability to deliver training that is practical, relevant and connected to real opportunity. The aim is not simply to add more locations,but to build an ecosystem in which emerging creatives have the skills, confidence and support to keep moving forward.
For Canon, this reflects the principle of Kyosei – living and working together for the common good. Through Miraisha, that principle is taking shape in a growing community of young image-makers who are betterequipped to tell their stories, pursue paid opportunities and build futures through their craft.
Visit Canon Miraisha Programme – Canon South Africafor more information on the programme.