South Africa's creative arts industry has a potential of exceptional growth if they could break into the BRICS markets and make use of disruptive technologies, said a senior government official on Monday.

South African Arts and Culture Minister Nathi Mthethwa said this while speaking at a film summit in Johannesburg.

He pointed out that film makers have to use the disruptive technologies to improve efficiency.

"We should prepare and plan for the fourth industrial revolution so that we cannot be left behind," said Mthethwa.

He stated that the creative industry has a potential to be a catalyst to fast track economic growth and create jobs if well managed.

He said the government would use the industry in the BRICS for the national interest.

"We need to be aggressive in accessing the BRICS markets. It is one platform where an industry can grow bigger," he said.

BRICS is an acronym for the grouping of the world's leading emerging economies, namely Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

He stated that they have signed partnerships with some BRICS countries to improve the sector.

Mthethwa encouraged filmmakers to tell the South African story, its history and use the national symbols in the films as U.S. film makers who ensure their national flag appears in their films to promote the country.

The Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the University of Johannesburg, Tshilidzi Marwala, called on the film makers to make more science films.

"You have to explore possibilities of using disruptive technologies to make the industry improve," he said.

The Videovision Entertainment CEO Anant Sigh said the creative industry has a potential to contribute immensely to the fiscus.

"We are in the right direction. Currently we contribute over 179 million U.S. dollars per annum to the gross domestic product. We have a potential to contribute over 3-3.6 billion U.S. dollars in the nearly five years," he added. 

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