MultiChoice Talent Factory welcomes Class of 2024

A fresh cohort of 20 passionate young filmmakers has begun an exciting year of film and television training at the MultiChoice Talent Factory (MTF) Southern Africa Academy in Lusaka, including Namibia’s Sandra Muramba and Elisabeth Hamukwaya.The MTF Southern Africa Academy is one of three on the continent, where students spend 12 months gaining skills in screenwriting, editing, producing and directing through study and practical experience on TV and film productions.“As Africa’s most-loved storyteller, the MTF is a multi-faceted project and our goal is to develop the film industry so that it plays a meaningful role on the continent,” said Roger Gertze, MultiChoice Namibia managing director. “After a rigorous selection process, we are delighted to welcome our new students who, through their film knowledge and experience, will take Namibia to the world.”Aspiring studentsMTF students learn alongside industry greats and seasoned professionals from across the globe. The final stage of the course sees students developing feature films for broadcast on MultiChoice local channels and Showmax. The most recent MTF Academy cohort also enjoyed an intensive online training course with the New York Film Academy (NYFA).According to Elisabeth, who is an aspiring director: “I’m looking forward to this opportunity and I will not take it for granted. I want to represent Namibia well this year,” she said.Sandra shared her desire to expand the Namibian film industry. “I cannot wait to learn more and I’m very open to learning.”African storiesAt the MTF Southern Africa Academy, 55% of students in this year’s intake are men and 45% are women – hailing from Zambia, Namibia, Mozambique, Malawi, Botswana, Angola and Zimbabwe.Since its establishment in 2018, the Africa-wide MTF Academy programme has produced more than 300 graduates, qualified young filmmakers who are now taking African stories to the world.“In the African film and television space, there is a risk that local productions could be crowded out by high-quality, foreign-produced films and series,” says MTF Southern Africa director Christopher Puta. “Fortunately, MultiChoice has ensured this does not happen by investing in developing local skills through our well-equipped MTF Academies. Even before they graduate, these students will be involved in creating relevant content that reflects the lives and tastes of African people.”Wide range of skillsThe training that the MTF Academy provides is geared towards broadening the skillsets of aspirant filmmakers and empowering them to work in various creative disciplines – not only the film industry. An MTF survey has found that around 92% of MTF Academy graduates go on to work in the creative sector.“Once they leave our academy, many MTF graduates go on to work on MultiChoice productions or with other broadcasters in the region,” said Puta. “Other graduates start businesses and become our partners and suppliers in the industry. MTF is about developing the skills to support a vibrant, collaborative industry environment.”He added: “The MTF Southern Africa class will support the MultiChoice vision of producing hyperlocal content for local markets. We’ve seen how audiences react to content made by other Africans, and we look forward to seeing the work produced by this year’s group of MTF students.”

MultiChoice Talent Factory welcomes Class of 2024

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Namibian Sun 2025-04-04

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MultiChoice Talent Factory welcomes Class of 2024

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Namibian Sun 2025-04-04

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