Media Hub
MultiChoice Announces a Major Pan-African Initiative for Film & Television industry
Published: 04.06.2018
The MultiChoice Talent Factory aims to ignite Africa’s creative industries
• The 3-part initiative kicks off with launch of regional academy in Zambia
• Applications for the MultiChoice Talent Factory Academy Now Open!
30 May 2018 - Today MultiChoice Africa, the continent’s leading video entertainment services provider, announced a bold new Pan-African social investment initiative - the MultiChoice Talent Factory (MTF) - aimed at igniting and growing Africa’s creative industries into vibrant, economic centres.
“The African development story has long been defined by investment in the vast mineral wealth on the continent, leaving our creative industries to fend for themselves on the fringes of economic development for far too long. As a result, the film and television industries have not developed at the same rate as other industries on the continent, and not for a lack of talent, passion or imagination,” says Roger Gertze, MultiChoice Namibia’s General Manager. “We are abundantly blessed in these areas, however, the space given for this expression has at best been limited and at worst, been relegated to the fringes of the mainstream economy, leaving in its wake, unfulfilled dreams, unexplored talent and unwritten stories. As an African business, MultiChoice, together with our valued partners and stakeholders across the continent, have collaborated to make a positive socio-economic impact in the communities in which we live and work through the MultiChoice Talent Factory initiative.”
For over two decades, MultiChoice has been committed to investing in the development of original African programming and showcasing it on the DStv and GOtv platforms across 49 sub-Saharan African countries. The launch of MTF forms part of the company’s new strategy of furthering this investment through *creating shared value by using its core business resources, people, skills and networks to affect a positive change in society that yields benefits for the business and society.
The MTF initiative will deliver three touchpoints that launch throughout the year, the MTF academies, Masterclasses and the MTF Portal. The first to launch is the MTF Academy, a 12-month educational programme aimed at furnishing 60 deserving, young, talented people who want to work and innovate in film and television production.
The MTF Academy students will be provided with skillsets to develop their talent, connect with industry professionals and tell authentic African stories through a comprehensive curriculum comprising theoretical knowledge and hands-on experience in cinematography, editing, audio production and storytelling. The programme will take place at three regional MTF Academies based in Kenya for East Africa, Nigeria for West Africa and Zambia for Southern African countries and will be overseen by acclaimed local film & TV industry experts, In Southern Africa, Mr. Berry Lwando has been appointed as the Academy Director for the hub.
“I am truly delighted to be a part of this great African renaissance, one that will not only tap into Africa’s latent but grow talent by up skilling our youths so that they can grow our creative industries,” says Lwando, MTF Academy Director for Southern Africa. He adds: “This is part of a game changingera in which creative and productive skills will be developed to enable local content be produced and compete with the best across any genre. For Southern Africa, the MultiChoice Talent Factory answers the questions of training and advancement in film production we have asked for a long time and provides us the local content solution we have desired. Nothing can be more rewarding to our creative industries.” During the course of the programme, MTF Academy students will produce television and film content that will be aired on our local M-Net channels across the MultiChoice platform including Africa Magic, Maisha Magic East, Maisha Magic Bongo, Zambezi Magic, M-Net and SuperSport to reach African audiences on the DStv and GOtv platforms. Upon graduation from the MultiChoice Talent Factory Academy, the MTF student will leave the Academy with the knowledge and skills to contribute professionally to the film and television industry.
CALL FOR ENTRY OPENS TODAY:
MultiChoice is calling all aspiring young film & TV creatives to apply for the MTF Academy from today, 30 May 2018, on www.multichoicetalentfactory.com. The Call for Entry will close on 05 July 2018. The 60 post-school MTF students (20 for each region) – will be selected from *13 African countries where MultiChoice operates -will have an exciting opportunity to hone their television and film production skills in the company of industry experts during the year-long programme that will begin on 01 October 2018.
Join the MTF social media conversation on the hashtag #multichoicetalentfactory and follow/join:
• Instagram: @multichoicetalentfactory;
• Twitter: @MCTalentFactory
• Facebook: @multichoiceafricatalentfactory
Note to Editors:
• *Creating Shared Value (CSV): Read more on the strategy of creating shared value (CSV) here https://hbr.org/2011/01/the-big-idea-creating-sha... and https://hbr.org/2011/01/the-big-idea-creating-sha...
• *13 Markets eligible for entry include: WEST AFRICA: Nigeria, Ghana, EAST AFRICA: Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania; SOUTHERN AFRICA: Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia, Malawi, Angola, Mozambique
• Bios and Images of the Academy Directors and the event will be available on request.
• Hi-res MultiChoice Talent Factory Logo available on request
For interview and other media request, please contact:
Levana Cloete
Corporate Affairs Manager
Tel: +264 61 270 5250
Cell: +264 81 33 22013
Email: Levana.cloete@na.multichoice.com
About MultiChoice Africa:
Entertainment is a powerful way to tell stories that open our minds, bring people together around shared passions, and connect us to new realities. It makes us laugh and cry. It informs, it educates and it inspires. MultiChoice Africa is a video entertainment company, and our role is to enrich lives. Our mission is to deliver value to our customers by making great entertainment more accessible. We find and develop the right mix of content and deliver it to millions of people across Africa – anytime, anywhere via our DStv (www.dstv.com) and GOtv (www.gotvafrica.com) platforms. Whether it’s local telenovelas, the excitement of world class sport or the latest global blockbusters, our investment in leading-edge content and technology systems deliver the shows that people love into their hands and their living rooms. We listen to our customers to understand their changing lives, the pressures they face and what matters most to them. We are committed to using these insights to put customers at the heart of all the decisions that each of us make every day. We’re reshaping our business to improve our customers’ experience, whenever and wherever they engage with us. Born and bred in Africa, MultiChoice is a team of more than 2750 full time and over 14 000 contractors and independent agencies and accredited installers who collectively deliver the greatest entertainment in the world to more than 49 countries across Sub-Saharan Africa. We are managed and run by local people, and strive to provide all our employees with new opportunities. We’re proud of the contribution we make to our communities, and our business has grown hand-in-hand with local economies by forging long-term partnerships with governments, national broadcasters and entrepreneurs. As the continent’s leading funder of sport and local production, we’ve built skills and capacity to better offer content that matters to our customers. As Africa continues to change rapidly, the entertainment industry is ever more relevant. We want to use our influence and resources to play a positive role in Africa by supporting the growth of Africa’s creative industries into vibrant, economic centres. It’s by creating value for our customers, our employees and society that we’ll build a successful business fit for the future. Visit www.multichoiceafrica.com for more information.
• The 3-part initiative kicks off with launch of regional academy in Zambia
• Applications for the MultiChoice Talent Factory Academy Now Open!
30 May 2018 - Today MultiChoice Africa, the continent’s leading video entertainment services provider, announced a bold new Pan-African social investment initiative - the MultiChoice Talent Factory (MTF) - aimed at igniting and growing Africa’s creative industries into vibrant, economic centres.
“The African development story has long been defined by investment in the vast mineral wealth on the continent, leaving our creative industries to fend for themselves on the fringes of economic development for far too long. As a result, the film and television industries have not developed at the same rate as other industries on the continent, and not for a lack of talent, passion or imagination,” says Roger Gertze, MultiChoice Namibia’s General Manager. “We are abundantly blessed in these areas, however, the space given for this expression has at best been limited and at worst, been relegated to the fringes of the mainstream economy, leaving in its wake, unfulfilled dreams, unexplored talent and unwritten stories. As an African business, MultiChoice, together with our valued partners and stakeholders across the continent, have collaborated to make a positive socio-economic impact in the communities in which we live and work through the MultiChoice Talent Factory initiative.”
For over two decades, MultiChoice has been committed to investing in the development of original African programming and showcasing it on the DStv and GOtv platforms across 49 sub-Saharan African countries. The launch of MTF forms part of the company’s new strategy of furthering this investment through *creating shared value by using its core business resources, people, skills and networks to affect a positive change in society that yields benefits for the business and society.
The MTF initiative will deliver three touchpoints that launch throughout the year, the MTF academies, Masterclasses and the MTF Portal. The first to launch is the MTF Academy, a 12-month educational programme aimed at furnishing 60 deserving, young, talented people who want to work and innovate in film and television production.
The MTF Academy students will be provided with skillsets to develop their talent, connect with industry professionals and tell authentic African stories through a comprehensive curriculum comprising theoretical knowledge and hands-on experience in cinematography, editing, audio production and storytelling. The programme will take place at three regional MTF Academies based in Kenya for East Africa, Nigeria for West Africa and Zambia for Southern African countries and will be overseen by acclaimed local film & TV industry experts, In Southern Africa, Mr. Berry Lwando has been appointed as the Academy Director for the hub.
“I am truly delighted to be a part of this great African renaissance, one that will not only tap into Africa’s latent but grow talent by up skilling our youths so that they can grow our creative industries,” says Lwando, MTF Academy Director for Southern Africa. He adds: “This is part of a game changingera in which creative and productive skills will be developed to enable local content be produced and compete with the best across any genre. For Southern Africa, the MultiChoice Talent Factory answers the questions of training and advancement in film production we have asked for a long time and provides us the local content solution we have desired. Nothing can be more rewarding to our creative industries.” During the course of the programme, MTF Academy students will produce television and film content that will be aired on our local M-Net channels across the MultiChoice platform including Africa Magic, Maisha Magic East, Maisha Magic Bongo, Zambezi Magic, M-Net and SuperSport to reach African audiences on the DStv and GOtv platforms. Upon graduation from the MultiChoice Talent Factory Academy, the MTF student will leave the Academy with the knowledge and skills to contribute professionally to the film and television industry.
CALL FOR ENTRY OPENS TODAY:
MultiChoice is calling all aspiring young film & TV creatives to apply for the MTF Academy from today, 30 May 2018, on www.multichoicetalentfactory.com. The Call for Entry will close on 05 July 2018. The 60 post-school MTF students (20 for each region) – will be selected from *13 African countries where MultiChoice operates -will have an exciting opportunity to hone their television and film production skills in the company of industry experts during the year-long programme that will begin on 01 October 2018.
Join the MTF social media conversation on the hashtag #multichoicetalentfactory and follow/join:
• Instagram: @multichoicetalentfactory;
• Twitter: @MCTalentFactory
• Facebook: @multichoiceafricatalentfactory
Note to Editors:
• *Creating Shared Value (CSV): Read more on the strategy of creating shared value (CSV) here https://hbr.org/2011/01/the-big-idea-creating-sha... and https://hbr.org/2011/01/the-big-idea-creating-sha...
• *13 Markets eligible for entry include: WEST AFRICA: Nigeria, Ghana, EAST AFRICA: Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania; SOUTHERN AFRICA: Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia, Malawi, Angola, Mozambique
• Bios and Images of the Academy Directors and the event will be available on request.
• Hi-res MultiChoice Talent Factory Logo available on request
For interview and other media request, please contact:
Levana Cloete
Corporate Affairs Manager
Tel: +264 61 270 5250
Cell: +264 81 33 22013
Email: Levana.cloete@na.multichoice.com
About MultiChoice Africa:
Entertainment is a powerful way to tell stories that open our minds, bring people together around shared passions, and connect us to new realities. It makes us laugh and cry. It informs, it educates and it inspires. MultiChoice Africa is a video entertainment company, and our role is to enrich lives. Our mission is to deliver value to our customers by making great entertainment more accessible. We find and develop the right mix of content and deliver it to millions of people across Africa – anytime, anywhere via our DStv (www.dstv.com) and GOtv (www.gotvafrica.com) platforms. Whether it’s local telenovelas, the excitement of world class sport or the latest global blockbusters, our investment in leading-edge content and technology systems deliver the shows that people love into their hands and their living rooms. We listen to our customers to understand their changing lives, the pressures they face and what matters most to them. We are committed to using these insights to put customers at the heart of all the decisions that each of us make every day. We’re reshaping our business to improve our customers’ experience, whenever and wherever they engage with us. Born and bred in Africa, MultiChoice is a team of more than 2750 full time and over 14 000 contractors and independent agencies and accredited installers who collectively deliver the greatest entertainment in the world to more than 49 countries across Sub-Saharan Africa. We are managed and run by local people, and strive to provide all our employees with new opportunities. We’re proud of the contribution we make to our communities, and our business has grown hand-in-hand with local economies by forging long-term partnerships with governments, national broadcasters and entrepreneurs. As the continent’s leading funder of sport and local production, we’ve built skills and capacity to better offer content that matters to our customers. As Africa continues to change rapidly, the entertainment industry is ever more relevant. We want to use our influence and resources to play a positive role in Africa by supporting the growth of Africa’s creative industries into vibrant, economic centres. It’s by creating value for our customers, our employees and society that we’ll build a successful business fit for the future. Visit www.multichoiceafrica.com for more information.