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MultiChoice Group is deeply committed to developing and honing the skills of young, talented, and ambitious African storytellers. This commitment began with the M-Net Magic in Motion (MIM) programme, which was established in South Africa in 2014.The MIM Academy was instrumental in transforming the South African film and TV industry by upskilling students and empowering them with substantial knowledge and experience over a 12-month period. Its remarkable success laid the foundation for a broader, pan-African vision.In 2018, to consolidate and expand its impact across the continent, MultiChoice Africa broadened this vital work under the umbrella of the MultiChoice Talent Factory (MTF). This initiative saw the M-Net Magic in Motion programme in South Africa rebranded as the MultiChoice Talent Factory South Africa (MTF South Africa), aligning it with the newly established MTF academies across the Rest of Africa.

This unified program continues the mission of upskilling the next generation of passionate young film creatives across the continent. While the name has evolved, the MTF South Africa programme maintains the same passion for filmmaking, devotion to excellence, and promise of enriching lives. This unified naming convention strengthens all initiatives critical in developing a sustainable talent pipeline for the video and entertainment industry. To date, 140 students have been trained through the initial program, making their mark in the video entertainment industry. Participants have produced about 16 Mzansi Magic movies, and nine graduates have successfully started their own production companies, including A Tribe Called Story, Eccentric Circus, and Beyond Black.

East Africa remains a hub of great African stories, yet to be told. The Academy in Kenya has been nurturing talent from Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, and Ethiopia, representing a true blend of raw talent, enthusiasm, and passion for film. The objective is to immerse students in a positive, risk-free learning environment where they sharpen their technical, professional, and business skills, ultimately becoming responsible citizens of their countries.The MultiChoice Talent Factory Academy in East Africa continues to drive a new dawn in Africa's storytelling landscape. We are dedicated to keeping the tradition of African storytelling alive. Africans are rooted in rich oral cultures and traditions, fostering a deep admiration for compelling stories and skilled storytellers.

It is this profound African culture that we seek to embed and mainstream with this young generation. The MultiChoice Talent Factory Academy in Kenya is a game-changer in Africa's film and television landscape. It stands as a wholly African initiative, with its focus on creating opportunities for young, emerging, and passionate filmmakers being truly inspiring. The Academy, and by extension the young talent being nurtured, is a testament to what we can achieve when we work together. The old African adage truly reminds us of this power.

The MultiChoice Talent Factory Academy for Southern Africa answers the questions of the advancement in film production and will ultimately fuel local content solutions. Nothing can be more rewarding to our creative industries.At its heart, the Academy aims to ignite Africa's creative industries, transforming the film sector. Skilled and experienced professionals in this industry are scarce. The Academy in Zambia wants to be part of the solution that helps to proactively grow this skills base while uniting the African film sector into one formalised, professional industry. The Academy is preparing our industry for tomorrow.

This year-long program adequately trains and upskills young African creatives by providing them with invaluable hands-on industry experience that will give them the confidence to make their mark in the world of film. Yet, it is not only about delivering a certificate. The Academy aims to create a pool of highly trained and experienced young creatives that is introduced to the industry each year. Using the power of entertainment to enrich lives and to tell Africa's stories are among the founding objectives of MultiChoice. Now, the Academy brings these two aspirations together in one powerful initiative that promises to enrich the lives of Southern Africa's filmmakers while telling their stories and those of the world around them.

Our continent has an incredible opportunity to empower a new economy because storytelling is inherently part of our youth's heritage. They can express themselves powerfully through narrative. Everything about Africa is a story – our politics, economics, and social interactions are all rich narratives. The current challenge technology poses is: how do we leverage technological opportunities for development? The fastest way to achieve this is through storytelling.

The MultiChoice Talent Factory Academy is a unique blend of a film school, a business school, and a passion school. It has the potential not only to empower students to become great storytellers but also to equip them with up-to-date information and technology. From a creative entrepreneurship perspective, the Academy empowers them to build institutions and become employers.

The Academy in Nigeria includes students from both Nigeria and Ghana, representing two of West Africa's most vibrant film industries. The Academy's vision is for these students to become key players in the growth and sustainability of Africa's creative film and television industry. We prepare them as future business owners who will, in turn, contribute to building an economy around the industry. It's time we not only reap the rewards of high-end, quality TV and film products but also equally benefit from the investments behind the lens.

The thousands of applications we receive clearly show a strong desire to learn from and work with other African creatives. The Academy isn't just a springboard to a career in the entertainment industry; it also fosters a closely-knit community of African professionals eager to narrate Africa's diverse stories to the world. What sets the Academy apart from other film schools is our commitment to ensuring that creative talent translates into empowerment. We are actively connecting creativity to commerce and linking professionals directly to the industry. To accomplish our mission, we collaborate with the School of Media and Communications, Pan Atlantic University, to deliver and execute our curriculum.