There is an increasing number and variety of creative small enterprises operating in South Africa’s desert Karoo region. This paper will examine this phenomenon in the light of Richard Florida’s seminal book, The Rise of the Creative Class. The ‘creative class’ refers to those people who make a living from creative pursuits, including artists, designers and knowledge-based professionals. The paper will analyse a sample of entrepreneurs in the Karoo, and will speculate on the causes of this new social phenomenon. It will also explore its implications for the socio-economic upliftment of the region, and in particular, its impact on employment.