Suburban
Peter Tanyanyiwa Suburban Reporter
A STRATEGY to invest in skills development through the MultiChoice Talent Factory (MTF) is yielding exciting results graduates of the programme enter the creative industry.
An ongoing long-term investment by MultiChoice to develop talent to for the content, production and entertainment industry is having an impact across the African film and television industry and helping to grow Africa’s creative industries into vibrant, economic hubs.
MTF is a shared value initiative that provides a platform for the creative industries to develop talent and build partnerships.
It takes a multi-tiered approach across three platforms – the MTF Portal, MTF Industry Masterclasses and the MTF Academies. The MTF Academies in Kenya (for East Africa), Nigeria (for West Africa) and Zambia (for Southern Africa) run in partnership with respected local universities.
The academies at the universities offer an accredited 12-month immersion programme including both theory and hands-on experience in film production and each year, 60 African students get the chance to hone their skills alongside industry greats.
MTF director for Africa Nwabisa Matyumza said they are happy that their trainees are entering the film industry and showing their expertise hence contributing to the African economies.
“In 2018, we committed ourselves to building the skills base in the TV industry through the MultiChoice Talent Factory. Now, after four years of operation, we are seeing our graduates enter the economy – which is having a multiplier effect on the development of our sector across the continent,” said Matyumza.
In Southern Africa, the biggest impact MTF has made to date has been in the area of technical capacity.
MTF Southern Region director Chris Puta said that the MTF Academy in Zambia is contributing towards the development of the local industry and can now compete with more established film and television regions across the continent.
“With the advent of MTF, the pool of well-trained individuals has increased allowing production companies to have a wider selection. In the process, these media platforms are able to save money and time that they would otherwise have spent on training their own media workers. I realised MTF was making a powerful impact in our region after we submitted our students’ short films for the AMVCA awards this year. Pitted against East and West Africa, our film ‘Nyau’ got a great response from an audience of industry professionals,” said Puta.
The MTF alumni now occupy significant industry roles across the continent.
MTF graduates are working as directors, producers, sound designers, camera operators, art directors and editors on major African productions including Salem, Tempted, Engaito, Mvamizi, Mum vs Wife, Makofi and County 49.
Other alumni are working further afield on productions by French (Film Plug), German (DW Akademie) and Polish organisations. Some are furthering their studies at institutions like the New York Film Academy (NYFA) as part of the Mandela Washington fellowship programme.
Several MTF graduates have become entrepreneurs, establishing production companies that employ other young people, contributing to economic growth in their countries. Others are developing shows and providing screenwriting services in Kenya, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, and Mozambique.
Yvonne Feresu MTF 2021 Zimbabwe
In 2020, Savannah Skies, a film directed and produced by two of Zimbabwe’s MultiChoice Talent Factory alumni Nobert Mapfoche and Rutendo Mahofa was also nominated for the prestigious Africa Magic Viewer’s Choice Awards.
Figure It Out, a film produced by yet another Zimbabwean graduate Bulawayo-based, Nkosilesisa Ncube was debuted on the DStv video on demand service, Showmax after she graduated.
MultiChoice Zimbabwe publicity and public relations manager Liz Dziva said they are proud of the Zimbabwean students and their achievements as well as their contribution to the local arts industry.
“Two local students Chimwemwe Chipidza and Yvonne Feresu will be completing their year-long studies this October at the MTF Academy in Lusaka thus ensuring that Zimbabwe continues to benefit from the MTF initiative.
“The next generation of African creatives is helping to shape the future of the film industry and MTF is playing a key role in this development. It’s an investment that will pay off in decades to come, in the form of quality African content and entertainment,” said Dziva.
