Idris Elba refines plans for smart city and film production

“It is the most ambitious project of my life.”

At the Africa Debate in London, actor and philanthropist Idris Elba presented the Sherbro Alliance, his plans to transform the Sierra Leonean island of Sherbro into a smart city.

The initiative aims to leverage renewable energy, modern infrastructure and innovative investment frameworks to promote local growth and international attractiveness.

Sherbro Island is intended to become a centre for the development of several sectors, including tourism, agriculture and energy.

“The idea of ​​building a smart city is definitely still young. And that is the most exciting thing for me,” says Elba, who was born in London to a Sierra Leonean father and a Ghanaian mother.

“We expect that in the next ten years we will have a population of about 250,000 people. Now it is about 30,000.”

Over the past six years, the star has worked with the government of Sierra Leone to create an investment opportunity that will attract international capital while meeting the needs and desires of local communities.

“To be clear, all this has been done in close collaboration with the people, the mayor, the chiefs, the community chiefs, the district chiefs and the people. They tell us what they would like to see happen,” Elba stressed.

Focus on renewable energies

The project's vision focuses on the integration of renewable energy solutions.

567 million people in sub-Saharan Africa did not have access to electricity in 2021. This represents more than 80% of the world's population without access. In Sierra Leone, only 27% of the population had access to electricity in 2020.

“Africa absolutely needs to move into renewable energy. We can do it. The technology is cheaper and allows Africans to deploy it where the West cannot,” Elba noted, emphasizing the continent's unique position to leapfrog older, less efficient energy systems.

With this in mind, the development of Sherbro Island includes plans for wind farms to provide residents with sustainable electricity.

“I now have Opticus Energy as my energy partner (in Sherbro),” Elba said.

“We should be playing a game that protects Africa's future by looking much more closely at the green economy. And the priorities are undoubtedly to invest in the infrastructure to get there, to invest in technology, to invest in education to understand the curve that's coming. On Sherbro Island, a lot of that energy will be needed to build the first wind farms.”

Creative industries

In addition to highlighting his work on Sherbro Island, Elba also called for broader investment in Africa's creative industries, which he believes can be a significant economic driver.

“If we really popularize the creative industries in these countries, we can reach more than $20 billion,” he claimed.

He pointed out that the creative industry in Nigeria alone is currently worth $5 billion a year, mainly due to local Nollywood productions.

“The creative industry is like an army; everyone has a role to play. The entire infrastructure is investable,” he explained, stressing the need for policies to protect intellectual property and provide financial services to support the sector.

Elba aims to boost Africa's creative economy, create jobs and promote a positive global perception of African countries. In 2023, he unveiled plans to build a film studio in Ghana, tentatively called West African Studios, and has promised to develop African talent through his production company Green Door Pictures.

He also hopes to leverage his relationships with major Hollywood companies Netflix, Apple and Amazon.

“I will be moving my productions to my studios in Africa over the next two years. And that will be a game changer not only for me, but also for the creative landscape.”

Tax incentives

Despite the optimism, Elba is realistic about the challenges. He recognises the need for consistent governance and regulatory frameworks to attract and retain investment in the creative industries.

And he argues that tax incentives remain an important tool for African governments to attract important global investments.

“South Africa, Morocco and Mauritius have created tax incentives. South Africa has done a fantastic job of making films more attractive internationally. This is being done through tax incentives for broadcasting. The Nigerian government is in the process of creating tax incentives and if implemented properly, this could attract international interest,” he said.

However, he admits that given the financial problems of many governments, it is difficult to demand tax relief – be it for the film industry or for ambitious projects such as Sherbro Island.

“Governments struggling with their own economic problems find it very difficult to suddenly say, 'Okay, we'll give you back 15 to 20 percent of your investment.' The concept is wrong,” he said.

Still, Elba insists that Sherbro Island is exactly the kind of long-term investment that governments should support.

“It's about making a long-term investment. The beneficiaries of that investment may be as young as 10 years old.”