Pay TV company MultiChoice has announced a training initiative aimed at revolutionising African television and improving the quality of its content across the continent.
The initiative is a partnership with local channels in several African territories and the MultiChoice Talent Factory, the company’s industry development and training scheme.
The new training programme will feature online learning courses, masterclasses with local and international industry leaders, practical training and short courses in post-production, sound, screenwriting, 3D animation and cinematography.
MultiChoice Africa CEO Fhulufhelo Badugela said: “Our vision is to upskill production professionals and to raise the standard of productions right across Africa. This will boost Africa’s film and television industry exponentially, because as you capacitate more people, more people are motivated to start projects and everybody benefits, including the viewers.
“This is an investment in the future of our industry, and investment goes beyond financial investment; it also requires skills, time and a core understanding of the consumer needs. But the most immediate impact will be to raise the standard of productions across Africa.”
According to Badugela, the programme will enable local job creation, lead to more productions, contribute to the economy, respond to the ongoing consumer demand for quality local entertainment, and boost viewership and the financial viability of the African TV industry.
“We have seen the impact investments can have. In Zimbabwe, we ran a training programme to support the launch of new local entertainment channels. The standard of the new channels is excellent, and the market has really opened up in terms of the productions being launched and the calibre of Zimbabwe’s filmmakers,” said Badugela.
“Improving the skills of our TV professionals will give audiences more choice and more chance to see themselves reflected in the content they consume. It’s about quality African content for African viewers.”
tagged in: Fhulufhelo Badugela, MultiChoice, MultiChoice Talent Factory
