The MultiChoice Talent Factory (MTF) is having a significant impact on Africa’s film and television industry, bringing talented newcomers into the fold and giving them a platform from which to move into — and help shape — the industry.
Gerald Ngonyamo, head of corporate affairs and public relations of MultiChoice Zimbabwe, said the 10 years in which the MTF had been operational had provided scores of aspiring filmmakers with a means by which to undergo formal training and make themselves presentable to the market.
“In each of the academic years we have had two Zimbabweans among the classes of the MTF academy for Southern Africa, which is based in Lusaka, and many of these graduates are already finding space for themselves in the emerging African film and television industry,” he said.
“What is pleasing is to hear of their progress and their advice for the aspiring filmmakers following in their footsteps.”
Simbarashe Nyahwa was a graduate of the 2023 class and focused on several key areas: producing, editing and sound design.
“The MTF was one of the best experiences of my life. Working in a multicultural cohort with colleagues from different Southern African countries taught me how to collaborate under pressure and adapt quickly to different working styles,” he said.
“It gave me friendships and professional connections that have grown into the MTF alumni network. I still work and collaborate with them today, and beyond the relationships, the practical skills I built there, in producing, editing and sound, are ones I continue to draw on in both my professional and academic work.”
Since graduating in 2023, he received the Canon Collins Trust’s Sol Plaatje Scholarship Award to help further his studies in film and television.
“I’m currently an MA candidate in film and television studies at the University of Cape Town. Alongside my studies, I’ve stayed active in the industry, directing and producing multiple podcasts, working as an independent multimedia consultant for several humanitarian and capacity-building organisations, and returning to the Zimbabwe International Film Festival in 2024 as a judge for the Smartphone Short Film Competition.
“I have also been part of a number of international media and film fellowship programmes, which include One World Media Fellowship and the Future of Film Africa Fellowship.”
What advice would he give new students going into the 2027 MTF academic year?
“The fact that you were selected for this programme shows you already have the potential to be the best. Use this opportunity to improve what you’re good at, but more important, use it to learn the areas you think you’re not good at yet. Don’t be afraid to take on lead roles and to make mistakes, because this is the best environment in which to learn and grow as a creative,” he said.
“It’s going to be an exciting journey, but it won’t always be easy. There will be painful moments and countless sleepless nights on set or in the edit room, but trust me, it’s all worth it.
“Filmmaking requires collaboration, so work on building a strong network from day one. You’ll need it during and after the program. And please don’t hesitate to reach out to us former students, both during the programme and after it. I’m part of that network too. Go out there and make Zimbabwe proud!”
Rutendo Mahofa is a 2019 graduate, whose idea in joining up was to find out how production works from development all the way to distribution.
“I particularly enjoyed how seasoned industry professionals shared their expertise and experience with us, from scriptwriting, breaking down a script and budgeting, production scheduling, cinematography to sound design, directing, running a crew on set, all the way to the final edit and distribution.
“I always felt fully confident that I could fulfil any role within production after each lesson because the immersive experience into the process made learning more practical than theoretical. A few years shy of a decade later, I can comfortably move across production departments, especially producing, directing, post-production and distribution because of more practice and opportunities after my invaluable time at MTF.”
She said her participation in the MTF came at a time when she knew little about production, except “that I truly loved exceptional storytelling.”
“My experience came with great discovery of my personal interests within filmmaking, my strengths and weaknesses. I don’t think my path would have progressed tremendously without the knowledge exchange, skills transfer and industry networking especially cross-collaboration among peers from Southern Africa and the continent at large,” she said.
“MTF taught me how to resolve team conflict to create meaningful work through leaning on each other’s strengths and appreciation of those strengths. One thing our class director, Berry Lwando, always said and which stuck in my mind was you cannot add footnotes to your film when it’s done, so always make sure your final story is something you’re proud to produce and says all it needs to.”
Ms Mahofa said the MTF offered a good balance of play which turned into team building, mental wellness checkups and industry networking events, balanced with practical work on running productions, assignments and final films.
“All experiences came with a level of stretching and self-discovery, and little by little within 10 months, I felt I had gotten more 10 000 hours by being immersed in new experience than simply watching tutorial videos would have provided.”
Since graduating, she has been “fanning the flames of storytelling by working out the vision one opportunity at a time.”
“I have worked across major television and reality productions commissioned by DStv’s Honey Channel in Zambia and Zimbabwe, serving as co-director and production manager on titles including Yes, I Have HIV: Zimbabwe seasons 1 and 2, Ehe! It’s a Match Zambia, Mom vs Wife Zambia, Yes Ndio Beenie Zambia and Hoot Cook Go Zambia between 2020 and 2023.
“My international credits include being production co-ordinator on The Amazing Race Finland Season 4 (2026), production manager on the Peacock/NBC Universal docu-series Tiffany Haddish Goes Off (2024) and first assistant director on the feature film Kigali 21, supported by the Rwanda Development Board, DStv and GIZ (2023).
“I serve as impact producer of the award-winning Zimbabwean documentary Transactions, through which I have helped facilitate over 100 community screenings and dialogue sessions across Zimbabwe and Zambia between 2022 and 2025, and as head consultant for content distribution at the African International Short Film Market.”
She is in the process of bringing an exciting opportunity for Zimbabwean filmmakers and will share more details in coming weeks and month for a rollout planned for 2027. Like Simbarashe Nyahwa, she has advice for incoming 2027 students: “Immerse yourself fully into the experience. Regardless of the level of knowledge or skills you may have, there is great gain being part of a truly one of kind incubator programme like MTF. Ask questions and practice often,” she said.
“Network, network, network, horizontally and vertically. Most of my opportunities haven’t always come because of pure skill but learning to build real relationships. Above all, enjoy the experience, play to refresh your mind and work to live out your dreams. All the best, this is just the beginning.”
