Multichoice Namibia prioritises fresh content

‘MAKING great content more accessible for Namibians’ is not just a maxim Multichoice Namibia has adopted as a generic goal; it’s a deep-seated aspiration the company lives by.

In 2018, the broadcaster pulled out all the stops to bring this objective to life, 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 – a Namibian 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.

This was followed up a few months later with the launch of Rapids FM on GOtv. Rapids FM is a commercial broadcasting radio station based at 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 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”.

Multichoice Namibia also upped the ante on its promotion of local content in 2018, with the premiere of season three of popular local drama ‘The 3rd Will’ on Zambezi Magic in July.

Beyond merely broadcasting local productions such as this, the company 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).

Participants are put through an intensive 12-month training programme in Zambia, and are drawn from across the region. Three emerging film-makers from Namibia are taking part in the programme, with the hope that they will bring these critical skills back home to help grow the local industry.