Online Reporter
Farirai Machivenyika, [email protected]
IN a move to foster home-grown talent and enhance the nation’s creative landscape, the Government is set to establish content creation hubs for the broadcast sector, aligning with the objectives of the National Development Strategy 2 (NDS2) and the National Media Policy.
The NDS2 recognises content creation as a pillar of tourism and the creative arts sector while the Government acknowledges the sector as a low hanging fruit for employment creation and wealth generation, particularly for youths.
Appearing before the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services yesterday, Permanent Secretary for Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, Mr Nick Mangwana, said they had come up with a strategic roadmap to bridge the gap between supply and demand for broadcast content.
“While we have a foundation of policies and ongoing programmes, we acknowledge that demand for content far outstrips supply,” he said.
“To bridge this gap, we have developed an aggressive plan centred on infrastructure, funding and skills development.
“This plan addresses the recent US$10 million allocation towards content that is fully aligned with objectives of NDS2 and the National Media Policy’s goal of media diversity and development.”
Mr Mnangwana said the US$10 million was not yet available, but was just an allocation like other budgetary allocations and would be disbursed in due course.
“Our flagship plan is the establishment of a content hub in every province of Zimbabwe.
“Our analysis has identified three critical barriers facing young creators,” said Mr Mangwana.
The barriers are a lack of capital due to the high cost of equipment, which individuals cannot afford, the skills gap, as a result of a lack of technical knowledge about how to implement creative ideas, and geographical centralisation, resulting in the exclusion of talent outside Harare from mainstream media.
Mr Mangwana said the content hubs would be a shared resource fully equipped with end-to-end production capabilities, including cameras, lighting, sound studios and editing suites.
“The hubs will ensure that stories from all provinces are told authentically, thereby enriching the media landscape with diverse perspectives,” he said.
The rollout strategy will include identifying existing infrastructure in all the 10 provinces, procurement of equipment and its installation.
Mr Mangwana said the Zimbabwe Film and Television Training School for Southern Africa (Ziftessa) will play a critical role in the plan through a series of masterclasses in each province focusing on cinematography, sound design, editing and script writing, providing certification for skills acquired, creating a credential for employment and mentorship.
He also said the hubs will directly support ZBC’s mandate to deliver diverse local content.
ZBC will establish a dedicated desk for commissioning content, specifically from these provincial hubs.
Mr Mangwana said they will prioritise productions created using the hub facilities for broadcast, closing the loop between creation and monetisation, ensuring that Zimbabwean stories from all corners are told.
ZBC chief executive officer, Mr Sugar Chagonda, said they would play their role in a diligent manner.
“We are ready to play our role in supporting the content creators as provided by the country’s laws and the contracts we enter,” he said.
Ziftessa director, Mr Tichafa Tongogara, said the institution has confidence in the capabilities of the graduates it produces.
“We are confident of the performance of the graduates that we have produced over the years and we will continue doing that,” he said.
