Shaping Zambia's Narrative: Meet Creative Producer and Host, Mary Phiri

From weaving imaginary movie plots for her high school classmates to shaping prime-time television, Mary Phiri’s journey is a testament to the power of opportunity meeting raw passion. A proud graduate of the MultiChoice Talent Factory (MTF) Class of 2023, Mary entered the academy with no on-set experience. Today, she is a versatile powerhouse in the Zambian media landscape, specializing as a Creative Producer.

Mary’s impressive portfolio already includes contributing to Zambia’s hit telenovela Zuba, cutting her teeth in live national broadcasting during an internship with ZNBC, and producing impact-driven civic content for BBC Media Action.

Currently, Mary is driving essential national conversations as the host of a live governance Q&A program in collaboration with the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ). At the same time, she is capturing the digital space with her rapidly growing Gen Z Podcast and bringing Zambia’s landscapes to life through her upcoming project, The Tourism Show.

In this exclusive conversation, Mary reflects on her rapid career trajectory, the critical role of MTF, and her vision for the future of Zambian storytelling.

Q: Tell us a bit about your background. What initially drew you into the world of television, and how did you find your way into the MTF Academy?

Mary: Storytelling has always been part of who I am. Back in high school, I was the resident movie narrator for my friends—except many of those movies only existed in my imagination! I would build entire worlds in my head and tell the stories so convincingly that my peers genuinely believed they were real films.

At the time, I didn’t realize storytelling could be a viable career. After high school, I took several personality and career assessments to figure out my path, and they all pointed directly to film and television. My parents, however, weren’t completely convinced and encouraged me to study Food and Nutrition instead. I enrolled, but my passion never left. While in school, I actively sought out acting spaces, collaborated with scriptwriters, and did everything I could to stay connected to the craft.

In 2021, while researching film schools, I discovered the MultiChoice Talent Factory. What immediately stood out to me was their commitment to training filmmakers and opening doors for individuals without formal backgrounds. I had never stepped foot on a professional set, but I applied, went through the interview process, and was selected. MTF gave me the ultimate platform to build a rock-solid foundation.

Q: Looking back at your time at the academy, what is the single most valuable lesson you acquired that you still lean on today?

Mary: The biggest lesson I took from MTF is the absolute necessity of discipline and a relentless pursuit of excellence. No matter the scale of the project or the budget involved, I believe you should treat every single job as if it were your last opportunity to showcase your talent. Your current work should always be the recommendation that secures your next gig. That mindset has been my anchor in the freelancing world: excellence opens doors.

Q: How crucial is a platform like MTF in giving young Zambian creatives the confidence and structural backing to view media as a sustainable career?

Mary: It is absolutely vital. MTF provides a bridge for young people who would otherwise have zero access to this industry. Many of us would not be where we are today without it. In many ways, it serves as a shortcut—not by skipping the hard work, but by accelerating access to industry exposure, knowledge, and opportunities that would normally take a decade to reach.

What truly sets MTF apart is that it doesn’t just focus on the creative aspects of filmmaking; it explicitly teaches the business of film and television. It trains you to look beyond raw passion and treat your craft as a sustainable, full-time career. That blend of technical training, professional discipline, and industry exposure is what makes the platform so profoundly impactful for young Zambian creatives.

Q: After MTF, how did stepping straight into massive productions like Zuba and ZNBC shape your professional mindset?

Mary: Moving from a sheltered student environment straight into two of Zambia’s largest media platforms was both thrilling and a massive shock to the system! It required a complete shift in mindset.

At ZNBC, the first few days were a steep learning curve because television broadcasting operates on very different structures and timelines than film. Coming from a film background, where you focus heavily on building suspense and cinematic delivery, broadcasting forced me to completely relearn my approach to scriptwriting and prioritize immediate clarity, speed, and factual communication.

Similarly, joining a massive daily production like Zuba demanded that I rapidly adjust how I worked, how I communicated, and how I viewed myself as a professional. Navigating those shifts stretched me creatively, and I loved every minute of the challenge. Ultimately, it was incredibly rewarding to contribute directly back into the very ecosystem that helped shape me, proving that the career paths promised during training are real and attainable.

Q: If you had to define your core area of expertise today, what would you say you specialize in?

Mary: If I had to pin down one core identity, I would say Creative Producer. I thrive in the developmental phase, generating concepts, pitching ideas, and steering them from imagination into execution to create stories that deeply connect with people.

However, being multi-skilled is my superpower on set. Because I understand editing, presenting, and production workflows, I can effortlessly step into different roles if a team is short-staffed or under pressure. It allows me to look at a project from various departmental perspectives, communicate more efficiently with crew members, and ultimately serve as a highly dependable collaborator.

Q: Currently, you host a live Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) program. How do you handle live broadcasting pressure while keeping heavy civic topics engaging?

Mary: It comes down to two things: thorough preparation and personality. Admittedly, governance and electoral affairs were not initially my default areas of interest. However, I recognized how crucial these conversations are for our country. I manage the pressure by researching deeply so that I fully comprehend the nuances of every topic. From there, I let my natural energy and personality shine through to make serious, heavy topics feel accessible, engaging, and digestible for the everyday viewer.

Q: You also launched the Gen Z Podcast, which has seen rapid growth. What specific gap in the Zambian digital space were you trying to fill?

Mary: The Gen Z Podcast was born out of observing my peers. Our generation is exposed to more data than any generation before us, but very little of it is curated for our well-being. Social media has revolutionized connectivity, but it has drastically reduced genuine, real-life interaction.

Too many young people are measuring their self-worth against highly curated, unrealistic lifestyles online. I wanted to create a transparent space that bridges the gap between digital facades and lived realities—a space that encourages critical thinking about how media influences our choices, mental health, and aspirations.

Q: You mentioned you’re in the process of developing a tourism-focused reality show called The Tourism Show. What is your creative vision for this project?

Mary: My vision for The Tourism Show is to tell stories through destinations. I don’t want to just show people beautiful locations; I want the audience to form an emotional connection with the place before they even book a trip. It is designed to be a modern, immersive, and story-driven marketing vehicle that uncovers Zambia’s hidden gems, inspires local and international travel, and proudly puts our country’s heritage on the global map.

Q: Lastly, where do you see the Zambian film and television industry heading in the next five years?

Mary: I see us competing fiercely on global stages alongside countries with much older, more established industries. The trajectory is already visible—our storytelling is getting sharper, our technical execution is becoming world-class, and local platforms are hungrier for content. Zambia has an absolute wealth of raw talent and untold stories. Over the next five years, I fully expect our industry to break international boundaries, gain global recognition, and prove that we are only just getting started.

Want more of Mary? Tune into GenZ Podcast and join her for raw, unfiltered, conversations that matter to young people.