The year is 2025, and here is silly old me… all positive and hopeful that this year, the creative industry will get the respect it deserves from Namibian society. Where comments like “Get a real job” or “Sorry, we do not have financial or housing schemes for creative freelancers,” will come to an end.
Silly old me is hoping that the creative industry will be top of the agenda for political establishments who promised via their manifestos last year to explore the sheer potential of the creative industry. Sigh!!!
Yes…silly old me. Hence… “wish list”.
Let me maar share my wish list regardless. Maybe my ancestors from Otjimbingwe will hear my cries and grant me my wishes. First things first, my wish is for TV broadcasters in the country to step up a notch, and do away with foreign content. All the money spent on commissioning foreign content can be used to create Namibian content. A great example of a blueprint for TV broadcasters in the country should be what Moja Love is doing on Dstv/GOtv.
Yes, every TV broadcaster has its target audience… but all I wish for is for the TV masters to plough into creating Namibian content that suits their target market. I wonder what’s CRAN’s stance on Namibian content on Namibian TV broadcasters? Well, let’s leave that conversation for another day.
Also, on the wish list is for radio presenters to actually make an effort.
A majority of Namibian radio presenters are downright lazy, uninspiring, and painstakingly boring. Most radio presenters on radio right now simply read from the internet, and call it radio. If it’s not reading from the internet, then it’s taking music requests for most of the show. Zero production value. Zero research, zero authenticity, zero effort, zero craftsmanship, zero creativity. Just click, read articles as is on the internet, and take requests. That’s Kamma radio.
I also blame radio managers for granting these lazy radio presenters access to their listeners. If someone is not meant to be on radio, be honest with that person and direct them to something else. It’s not hating or gatekeeping.
It’s being honest, and saving the industry from collapsing. Stop recruiting random, talentless and passionless zombies because of pillow relations, or fake social media hype.
Theatre is also on my wish list. We need to resuscitate the theatre industry. Who needs to do it? How do you ask? Bruh…I don’t know. I haven’t figured out the finer details yet. But from where I’m standing… it seems like theatre died with David Ndjavera. Having worked with Uncle D… he would’ve been pissed at the state of the theatre industry right now. If anything, let’s do it for him tog. Let’s stage these theatre plays. Let’s attend the staging of these theatre plays. What is the big issue ano?
Last on my wish list is for entertainment journalism to go back to its glory days. The art of entertainment journalism is non-existent currently. There are a few entertainment journalists who are really trying to craft investigative stories.
However, the majority of the space is a flop story. There was so much drama that transpired in the entertainment and creative space in 2024 that entertainment journalists either missed, or did the bare minimum with it.
Silly old me… all positive and hopeful that my wish list will be granted. Perhaps my ancestors from Otjimbingwe will
not be enough. Let’s hope the “nyangies” from other parts of the country see my wish list, and help my ancestors to grant my wishes. Happy 2025 fellow creative practitioners.
Until the next Loop, we say #GMTM
Need an MC? I’m YOUR guy.
* Hit me up…naobebsekind@gmail.com