Lusaka MultiChoice Talent Factory Academy graduates its 100th student

After five years in operation, the Southern Africa MultiChoice Talent Factory (MTF) Academy in Lusaka this year saw its 100th student graduate from the industry-leading film and TV training programme.

The MTF Academy offers multi-disciplinary training programmes aimed at developing the next generation of African storytellers. Every year, classes of students graduate from MTF academies in Lusaka, Lagos and Nairobi.

The graduation ceremony for the Southern Africa MTF Academy was held in Lusaka on 27 November 2024. The event celebrated the talent and hard work of this year's cohort, as well as recognising the achievements of earlier cohorts who have gone on to find success in the industry.

"Each year for the past five years, 20 creatives from seven Southern African countries have passed through this ground-breaking programme," said MTF Southern Africa Academy Director Christopher Puta. "Each of these 100 young people have emerged with a fresh sense of direction in their lives, with useful skills, and the promise of a bright future. We are proud of them, and proud to be helping to build our industry."

This year's MTF Southern Africa Academy students completed a 12-month programme of workshops, lectures, practical film productions and masterclasses, where they gained skills in everything from screenwriting and editing to sound design, producing and directing.

The top three performers of this year's cohort were also celebrated for their outstanding achievements. First place went to Hidlson de Jesus Valentim who won a 6-week internship at NYFA, Beatus Msamange who took second place, received a 2 week internship with Zee World, while Goitsemang Chalumbila in third place earned a 2 week internship with MultiChoice in SA. These prestigious opportunities will help further their careers in the film and television industry.

The MTF course is created in collaboration with international partners, the New York Film Academy, Indian satellite TV channel Zee World as well as a long-standing partnership with the University of Zambia. These partners provide training, course content and internship opportunities that allow MTF students to continue their career growth.

At the graduation, Puta proudly shared some of the achievements of former MTF graduates and encouraged this year's cohort to take inspiration from their successes. Recent accomplishments by MTF alumni include:

• Chimwemwe Chipidza from Zimbabwe placing second in the African Monologue Championships in Kampala, Uganda.
• Zambian Amos Mwape winning first prize in the Twalumba Resort & Hotels content-creation competition.
• Namibia's Tekla Nakale winning the best scriptwriting award for the film Ataman at the Multichoice Namibia Film Festival.
• Angolan MTF alumnus Eltina Gasper successfully producing three short films: environmental piece Luxury in Trash; Look and You Will Hear Me, about pregnant deaf women; and Hotel Panorama, about an iconic building.
• Zambia's Mary Siamwanda being cast in a key role in the new season of Zambian telenovela Chokolo.
• Leading Zambian post-production company Wathinta Imbokodo hiring four MTF graduates and offering paid internships to three further graduates.

The MTF community also faced a major challenge this year, which was turned into a triumph. MTF student Faith Msole fell ill and had to return home to Malawi. Although MTF traditionally does not offer an online option, an exception was made for Faith. She was allowed to complete her studies entirely online. This reflects MTF's deep commitment to ensuring that every student has the opportunity to realise their dreams, no matter the circumstances.

"Our collaboration with the MultiChoice Talent Factory has been a fruitful one," said University of Zambia vice-chancellor Prof Mundia Muya. "The University of Zambia is able lend its academic expertise in the area of knowledge transfer, while MTF can leverage its industry awareness. It is a highly intuitive partnership, which has benefited Southern Africa's aspiring film professionals for several years culminating to a long-standing partnership.

As part of their practical film work during the 2024 course, MTF students completed five public-service videos for the Zambia Revenue Authority, covering areas such as tax compliance, e-filing, VAT, small-business support and taxpayer rights. It also built relations with the Zambian education ministry, through site visits and engagements, with Minister Douglas Syakalima commending MTF for its training courses, and for giving young people the chance to pursue careers in the industry.

"MTF continues to contribute positively to Africa's TV and broadcast industry," said Oluwakemi Omotosho, Regional Director: Southern Africa, MultiChoice Group Holdings. "The alumni who graduate have been equipped to follow a variety of career paths. Many choose to join established industry platforms like Showmax and Zambezi Magic. Others open their own production companies and go on to work on notable productions across Africa. MTF has proven itself as asset to Africa's film industry, and a path to a successful TV career for many young people."