Broadcaster prioritises fresh new content this year
MultiChoice Namibia this year prioritised fresh new content as well as content makers and pulled out all the stops, with the launch of two exciting new content platforms, a thrilling TV and film talent incubator, and new viewing options for DStv customers.
The year got off to a great start in March with Shipi FM – the new local community radio station operating in the Oshana and Oshikoto regions with reception as far as Oshivelo and Oshikango – being included on the GOtv platform. Shipi FM hosts a number of diverse programmes comprising entrepreneurship, news and current affairs, sports, community initiatives as well as entertainment.
MultiChoice followed this up a few months later with the launch of Rapids FM on GOtv. Rapids FM is a commercial broadcasting radio station based in Rundu that broadcasts in all languages spoken in the Kavango regions to a diverse listenership of youth and elders.
Acknowledging the significance of the station’s inclusion on GOtv, ICT Minister, Hon. Stanley Simataa, said at the launch event that this was “truly a milestone for the Rundu capital but more so for the Kavango region”. He added, “Radio has a much wider social value. Commercial stations are an important and valued part of communities across Namibia, supporting local business through advertising, and serving as incubators and springboards for local media talent”.
As the home of African television, and with the objective of providing the greatest selection of local channels made in Africa, for Africa, GOtv is an important platform in Namibia, and reflects the government’s digital migration process. The inclusion of these radio stations on GOtv further MultiChoice’s vision of using entertainment to enrich lives, especially in remote areas of the country.
MultiChoice Namibia also upped the ante on its promotion of local content in 2018, with the premiere of season three of the popular local drama, The 3rd Will, on Zambezi Magic in July. The series is locally produced and features a cast of proudly Namibian talent.
In addressing VIP guests at the premiere, Roger Gertze, MultiChoice Namibia MD, said that through this wholly local production, Zambezi Magic was providing a platform to tell Namibian stories.
Beyond merely broadcasting local productions such as this, MultiChoice Namibia has long recognised the role it can play in helping to proactively build the Namibian TV and film production sector. It was with this in mind that the company recently put its weight behind the regional launch of the MultiChoice Talent Factory (MTF).
The academy aims to ignite Africa’s creative industries and transform the film sector by growing its professional skills base through exposure to technical skills, workplace experience and the production of local content. It is anticipated this will ensure a pool of highly trained and experienced young creatives is made available to the industry each year, as well as enhance the quality of local content productions across the southern region, including those coming out of Zambia.
Academy participants are put through an intensive 12-month training programme in Zambia, and are drawn from across the region. MultiChoice Namibia proudly sponsored three emerging filmmakers to take part in the programme, with the hope they will bring these critical skills back home to help grow the local industry,
MultiChoice Namibia ended off the year on a high note, with the launch on 1 December 2018 of DStv’s highly anticipated third XtraView offering. Until now, customers have been able to link two decoders together for the monthly cost of a normal DStv subscription plus an Access Fee. Now, for an additional Access Fee, customers can link another decoder, allowing them to connect a total of three decoders in their home at the same time. This enables the whole family to simultaneously enjoy their favourite DStv programmes on different TV sets, all managed from one DStv subscription.
This rounded off what has been an exceptional year for MultiChoice Namibia in using its various platforms to deliver educating and inspiring content, to make great entertainment more affordable and more accessible, and to invest in the future of Africa and her burgeoning creative industries.
