iv als ▁or ▁Car ib bean ▁Song ▁Festival . ▁Currently , ▁the ▁contest ▁runs ▁on ▁digital ▁platforms , ▁opening ▁entries ▁to ▁all ▁song ▁writers ▁and ▁artists ▁across ▁all ▁ 5 4 ▁countries ▁in ▁Africa . ▁For ▁the ▁ 4 th ▁or ▁ 5 th ▁years , ▁organiz ers ▁declare ▁the ▁goal ▁is ▁to ▁create ▁the ▁final s ▁in ▁the ▁form ▁of ▁a ▁live ▁broadcast ▁show , ▁hosted ▁in ▁the ▁winning ▁country ▁from ▁the ▁previous ▁year ▁with ▁implementation ▁of ▁S MS ▁and ▁online ▁voting . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁Prior ▁to ▁the ▁launch ▁of ▁A fri Music ▁Song ▁Cont est , ▁several ▁un related ▁un success ful ▁attempts ▁to ▁start ▁a ▁song ▁competition ▁involving ▁countries ▁of ▁African ▁continent ▁took ▁place , ▁including : ▁ ▁Song ▁Of ▁Africa ▁– ▁was ▁planned ▁to ▁be ▁held ▁on ▁May ▁ 2 5 , ▁ 2 0 1 1 ▁in ▁Johannes burg , ▁South ▁Africa ▁as ▁the ▁European ▁Broadcast ing ▁Union ▁lic ensed ▁version ▁of ▁the ▁Euro vision ▁Song ▁Cont est ▁with ▁the ▁participation ▁of ▁nine ▁to ▁ten ▁countries ▁of ▁the ▁Sub - S ah aran ▁Africa . ▁The ▁overall ▁contest ▁cost ▁was ▁estimated ▁between ▁ 1 5 – 2 0 ▁million ▁South ▁African ▁rand ▁($ 1 . 7 – 2 . 3 ▁million ) ▁with ▁the ▁final ▁deal ▁for ▁the ▁license ▁pr iced ▁" some ▁hundred ▁thousand " ▁US ▁dollars ▁yet ▁to ▁be ▁signed , ▁which ▁was ▁called ▁by ▁the ▁organ izing ▁team ▁in ▁face ▁of ▁Br enda ▁Sak ell ar ides ▁at ▁the ▁moment ▁of ▁the ▁announ cement