First 20 students from the MultiChoice Talent Factory film academy's East Africa hub graduate.

The MultiChoice Talent Factory (MTF), MultiChoice's film academy for sub-Saharan Africa held the first graduation ceremony for the academy's 20 students of the East Africa hub at the Nairobi Film Centre in Kenya where students received their certificates from the Kenyatta University accredited training programme.

MultiChoice set up the MultiChoice Talent Factory last year, and modelled it on M-Net's successful Magic in Motion film academy in South Africa, with three film academy hubs in Lusaka, Zambia for Southern Africa, Nairobi in Kenya for East Africa, and in Lagos in Nigeria for West Africa.

Along with their certificates, various students from the MultiChoice Talent Factory in East Africa got placements and internships with the New York Film Academy College of Visual & Performing Arts (NYFA) in New York; an Indian Film Industry "Bollywood" production internship with Nihilent Limited in India, a "Nollywood" production scriptwriting internship on an Africa Magic series produced in Lagos, an infinite AVID media composer license, as well as a AVID Pro Tools license by Jasco Broadcast Solutions

"We've encountered some challenges as we travelled our way along this journey, but with the remarkable support of our stakeholders, partners and supporters, we soldiered on and have emerged stronger for the creative industry as a whole," said Maharage Chande, MultiChoice regional director for the Northern region.

The MultiChoice Talent Factory was launched in May 2018 to support and help grow Africa’s creative film and TV industries through the film academy as a training and skills development opportunity for young emerging filmmakers by offering a 12-month fully funded training programme.

The MultiChoice Talent Factory's curriculum is run by three regional academy directors, Njoki Muhoho (East Africa), Berry Lwando (Southern Africa) and Femi Odugbemi (West Africa) with 20 students each for a total of 60.

"Those that made the cut have certainly proved their potential, and all the graduates' hard work during the programme has led to this moment," said Njoko Muhoho, the MultiChoice Talent Factory East Africa director.

"It was truly a privilege to witness as the students worked diligently and demonstrated exactly how important a programme such as the MultiChoice Talent Factory academy is for the preservation of Africa’s creative film and TV industry. I couldn't have been prouder of the students for the work they have so far put in, and for what lies ahead of them," said Njoko Muhoho.

Throughout the past year the MultiChoice Talent Factory has partnered with various institutions and organisations to ensure the success of the initiative who have delivered expertise in various aspects of the film and television and participated in various touchpoints of the initiatives from training at the academy to upskilling industry professionals through masterclasses.

In April 2018, the MultiChoice Talent Factory partnered with the world-renowned New York Film Academy College of Visual & Performing Arts (NYFA). 

Every year, starting with the first graduating class, one graduate from each of the three hubs will get to enhance their filmmaking skills through a scholarship. The East Africa class of 2018's recipient is the 26-year-old Kenyan, Hillary Lanogwa.

The 26-year old Jane Moshi from Tanzania was chosen to receive the 2-week Bollywood production internship. The 24-year old Cissy Nalumansi from Uganda was chosen for the 3 to 4-week scriptwriting internship in an Africa Magic series.

Jasco Broadcast Solutions is also giving an AVID media composer licence for the 22-year old Kenya, Hilary Sibuni Sitati, who was chosen as the most-promising film video editor in the East Africa region. The AVID Pro Tools licence for the most-promising sound engineer per region for East Africa was awarded to 24-year-old Anthony Njoroge from Kenya.  

"From the onset, we as MultiChoice believed that working in partnership with creative organisations across the continent and beyond will contribute towards making this initiative a success for the students and broader creative industry," says Cheryl Uys-Allie, the MultiChoice Talent Factory director.

"We truly thank the partners who have come on board to contribute towards equipping our emerging creatives with the technical skills they need to expertly navigate our industry. As the old African proverb says, ‘If you want to run fast, go alone. If you want to run far, go together. It’s our hope that we will see more partners joining us to ignite Africa’s creative industry further."

MultiChoice's MultiChoice Talent Factory film internship programme in Africa partners with the New York Film Academy to help train emerging filmmakers.

In a big step forward for upskilling Africa's young and emerging filmmaking talent, MultiChoice's recently-launched MultiChoice Talent Factory film academy has partnered with the New York Film Academy (NYFA) that will help with training and opportunities for students as part of a groundbreaking collaboration.

While M-Net runs the M-Net Magic in Motion Academy film academy programme in South Africa, MultiChoice extended it into the rest of Africa in 2018 with the MultiChoice Talent Factory running three film school internship programmes in Zambia for Southern Africa, Kenya for East Africa and in Nigeria for West Africa.

MultiChoice says that the endorsement of the MultiChoice Talent Factory by the New York Film Academy confirms the film school's continued efforts to empowering and developing filmmakers.

"This groundbreaking collaboration speaks to our commitment to partnering with industry experts such as the New York Film Academy to promote and protect the growth of Africa’s creative industries,” says Cheryl Uys-Allie, MultiChoice Talent Factory director.

"Our East Africa academy director, Njoki Muhoho is a NYFA alumni, having studied filmmaking at the Los Angeles campus and we’re excited to be collaborating with the New York Film Academy in being able to offer incredible opportunities to our students and the sector as a whole."

Jim Miller, New York Film Academy vice president, says "The New York Film Academy is honored to be a part of the enrichment, development, and fostering of storytellers across Africa, a continent steeped in a rich history of dynamic, creative and passionate visual and performing artists".

"Over the years, NYFA has been privileged to have hosted hundreds of students from dozens of African nations, many who have found outstanding success in their national industries when they returned home."

"This MTF and NYFA collaboration is a natural extension of our commitment to help bolster the skills of talented African storytellers."

Izelle Venter takes over as new channel head of VIA from March; Afrikaans female interest channel will start selling commercials through DStv Media Sales soon.

Izelle Venter is becoming the new channel head of VIA (DStv 147) from 1 March, taking over from Cheryl Uys-Allie whose one-year contract is ending and who is leaving the channel.

Izelle Venter has been the editor of Media24's editorial solutions team and launched the VIA channel primarily aimed at Afrikaans female viewers in November 2015.

VIA will start selling commercials from March through MultiChoice's advertising division, DStv Media Sales.

"We are delighted that Izelle Venter, whose many skills include an instinctive understanding of various audiences, has agreed to step up to the plate," says Esmaré Weideman, Media24 CEO.

"The knowledge I have gained of the diverse Afrikaans audiences is the main reason I am able to take on this wonderful challenge," says Izelle Venter.

"I'm looking forward to building the channel with the help of our experienced VIA team as well as our loyal producers".

Afrikaans female lifestyle channel on DStv, VIA, looking for an Afrikaans speaking commissioning editor to oversee local productions.

VIA (DStv 147), Media24's new Afrikaans lifestyle channel aimed at women is looking for an Afrikaans speaking commissioning editor to oversee local productions.

Applications close on 21 December and a CV and motivational letter can be emailed to our CV and a short motivational letter to magazineshr@media24.com

The commissioning editor position is based in Auckland Park and the person will report to VIA channel head, Cheryl Uys-Allie.

The VIA commissioning editor will be responsible for commissioning of content briefs, managing of production budgets and contracting production companies as well as reviewing the scripts and viewing of content.

The person needs a minimum of 5 years production experience, a degree or national diploma in TV, media, scriptwriting, drama or music, knowledge about TV broadcasting and be fluent in Afrikaans and English.

MultiChoice adds VIA from Media24 to DStv as a new Afrikaans lifestyle and entertainment channel focused on women and their families.

DStv is adding a new lifestyle and entertainment TV channel called VIA from Media24 that will broadcast in Afrikaans and be geared towards women and their families.

VIA will launch on 9 November at 16:00 on channel 147 on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV platform as the 5th Afrikaans TV channel in South Africa.

VIA launches with 22 new locally produced shows ranging from food and diets to covering relationships, style and a sprinkling of reality programming.

The channel will broadcast a three hour premiere block of new episodes every weekday between 16:00 and 19:00 which will loop and repeat during the rest of the week and over weekends.

VIA, with channel head Cheryl Uys-Allie, will be available to DStv Premium, DStv Extra, DStv Compact and DStv Family subscribers in South Africa and Namibia.

Via hails from Media24 - unlike ASTV available on the StarSat and Platco Digital's OpenView HD platforms and the M-Net Afrikaans channels like kykNET, kykNET Nou and kykNET & Kie supplied to MultiChoice for its DStv platform.

Media24 will use both its print magazines and Afrikaans newspapers to market and cross-promote VIA, as well as leverage some of its existing titles to introduce new local TV content, for instance using established brands and editorial talent at magazines like Huisgenoot and Sarie as new on-air extensions and to present and appear in certain shows.

In South Africa VIA as a new Afrikaans channel will compete with the likes of existing channels like BBC Lifestyle, TLC Entertainment and Fine Living in the lifestyle entertainment and reality genre.

VIA will also likely further chip away at the eroding audience share of the SABC's Afrikaans viewers. While the public broadcaster is producing little in fresh Afrikaans content to cater to this market segment, Media24 has made a big investment in producing several brand-news shows aiming to attract female Afrikaans viewers and their families.

VIA's creation has been a boon for South African production companies and Afrikaans TV programming. Both established production houses ranging from Quizzical Pictures to newer ones like Afrokaans have been commissioned to make shows in Johannesburg and Cape Town for VIA ranging from reality competition and style shows to food, diet and lifestyle programming.

"They have worked under enormous pressure to deliver fresh, local content in a remarkably short time," says Cheryl Uys-Allie.

"VIA's content strategy is to delight and entertain our audiences with shows that resonate with their lives," says Pat van Heeden, VIA's head of content. "We offer a glimpse of the lifestyles of others, we see the remarkable characters in our midst and we celebrate the quirkiness in the ordinary."

"We are extremely excited to launch VIA and proud that we can treat our Afrikaans audiences to a brand-new Afrikaans channel," says Esmaré Weideman, Media24 CEO.

"We are delighted to include TV as another platform where we can serve our audiences working closely with our magazines, newspapers and digital platforms".

VIA shows at launch include Zavion, a reality show following the Survivor SA contestant Zavion Kotze, juggling his job as events coordinator organising weddings with decathlons.

In Kom Ons Braai three couples huddle around the coals to see who can outdo the other, while three brave women tackle three diets over a period of 30 days in the hopeof fitting into their swimsuits before summer in Die Eet Oorlog.

My Droom-trourok gives brides a chance of taking home a designer wedding dress but only if her guests agree on the winning gown.

In Stylstryd two contestants with dreams of seeing their decor talents in TUIS magazine will duel it out. With a decor blogger alongside them, they will decorate an empty room according to a set challenge.

Inspirasiekos met Sarie sees the women's magazine's food editor Herman Lensing looking for the best ingredients, while Carmen Niehaus, the Huisgenoot food editor choose the best one out of three aspiring chefs who get their recipe featured in the magazine in Jy het 'n Wenresep!.

Rapport newspaper journalist Hanlie Retief has a profile interview show, 'n Halfuur met Hanlie in which she introduces viewers to people who interest and inspire her.

Amore Vittone is the referee in Skoonma se Tong in which the age-old unease between mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law is on the table. The man they share is blindfolded and tastes both their dishes - and must choose his favourite.

In Nikki Sê Nee, Nikki Roos, the mother of four who knows how to make the most of her rands and cents, shares her tips to help viewers save money and time.

Other VIA shows at launch include Familiefoto, Kersie op die Koek, Mooi van Binne, Maak My Nuut, Brood & Botter, Deur Dik & Dun, Vrydag 4 uur, Ken Jy My?, Ruil My Styl, Hartskos, Padkos and Die Kliek.