by Thinus Ferreira
National Geographic says production has started on National Geographic Kids Africa as an edutainment series for children, filmed in Africa that will be broadcast later in 2022 on The Disney Channel (DStv 303) and Nat Geo WILD (DStv 182 / StarSat 221) channels.
The first group of presenters will be Mysha Hodson (13), Marita Lucas (12), Shanah Manjeru (14), Railey Mwai (10) and Adarsh Nagda (12) who will serve as studio and Nairobi-based hosts in Kenya for National Geographic Kids Africa.
The production, with Kenya's White Rhino Films as production partner, is currently casting for field presenters who will be doing segments for the show from other regions of Kenya; as well as from countries like Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa and Tanzania.
National Geographic Kids Africa will initially have 26 episodes and is filmed primarily in East Africa, with additional filming in West and Southern Africa.
National Geographic Kids Africa is a project of The Walt Disney Company, supported by Wildlife Direct, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the United States Department of State.
"National Geographic Kids
Africa is a collaborative effort to celebrate the
environment and raise awareness of conservation and associated issues through a
factual entertainment programme for children," says National Geographic in a statement.
"The project aims to
inspire and promote positive behaviours among its audiences to protect the
world in which they live, through engendering a deeper understanding of their
environments."