Africa's creative industries are increasingly receiving attention due to their potential to generate human and economic growth and development. Converting this potential into tangible and sustainable development requires consistent collaboration between higher education (HE) institutions and the creative economy. This case study reflects on the role of Creative Imagination Workshops (CIWs) in brokering collaboration between HE and selected creative sectors in Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa. The CIWs were an initial phase of the African Hub for Sustainable Creative Economies (AHSCE) research project. They aimed to support network building and collaboration by providing online exchange and networking opportunities. Workshop participants were recruited through both formal and informal networking processes. The CIWs demonstrate that intermediaries such as the AHSCE can offer virtual 'third spaces' which feature little to no financial barrier to entry, encouraging academics and entrepreneurs to engage with each other, and facilitating the exchange of knowledge and resources. While the virtual workshop delivery model precipitates high levels of attendance and engagement, it is vulnerable to limitations in national infrastructure. Generating enough trust to transform connections initiated virtually into collaborative in-person partnerships also requires an extended timetable or a hybrid model combining virtual and physical interactions.