Downtown Studios

Known as the RPM Studios until 1991, Johannesburg's Downtown Studios is one of the most advanced facilities in South Africa. It has hosted numerous domestic and international artists including éVoid, Via Afrika, Manfred Mann, Dolly Parton, U2 and Simply Red. A former cornerstone of the Gallo stable, Downtown Studios was neglected for years until it was purchased by the Department of Arts and Culture in 2009. It was then transformed into the Downtown Music Hub with a goal of becoming an “agent of change for the advancement of human capital development, job creation and entrepreneurship in the industry” as well as to “facilitate [the] economic empowerment of South African artists”. A complete makeover followed in 2015. Chola Makgamathe is its current CEO.