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, 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 groups who have gone on to find success in the industry. 

“For the past five years, 20 creatives from seven Southern African countries have passed through this ground-breaking programme each year,” 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,” Puta said. 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 from screenwriting and editing to sound design, producing and directing. 

“On behalf of MultiChoice Namibia, I’d like to congratulate our Namibian alumni Sandra Muramba and Elisabeth Hamukwaya on their graduation at the MTF Southern Academy,” said Roger Gertze, MultiChoice Namibia managing director.

“Their achievements are commendable, and we are excited to support them as they contribute positively towards the growth of the Namibian film and television industry,” he said.

The top three performers in this year’s cohort were also celebrated for their outstanding achievements. First place went to Hidlson de Jesus Valentim who won a six-week internship at NYFA, Beatus Msamange who took second place, and received a two-week internship with Zee World, while Goitsemang Chalumbila in third place earned a two-week internship with MultiChoice in SA.

These prestigious opportunities will help further their careers in the film and television 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 graduated have been equipped to follow a variety of career paths. Many choose to join established industry platforms like Showmax and Zambezi Magic. Others have opened their own production companies and went on to work on notable productions across Africa. MTF has proved to be an asset to Africa’s film industry, and a path to a successful TV career for many young people.”