AFRICAMAGIC HOSTS STAKEHOLDER FORUM IN DAR

Khadija Kalili 9:50 AM

With the recent launch and early success of AfricaMagic Swahili, available on DStv, the new TV channel has taken yet another bold step into the East African film market by hosting a key strategic stakeholder meeting in Dar es Salaam this month.

The AfricaMagic Swahili Stakeholder Forum, which will be attended by M-Net Africa Managing Director Biola Alabi, was designed as part of an ongoing initiative to engage local film and television professionals on key aspects of program acquisition, licensing, and screening processes. The objective of the forum is to facilitate a detailed and interactive discussion with relevant industry stakeholders on the subjects of contracting, distribution and platform opportunities.

In addition to the forum, M-Net will also be investing in a special two-day training workshop in Tanzania in which it is hoped that producers and other industry personnel will not only learn new skills and new techniques but also participate in knowledge and ideas sharing.

Commenting on the 3-day event Alabi highlights why East Africa is such a key part of Africa’s television landscape and re-iterates M-Net’s commitment to the market.

“Swahili is one the most spoken languages to be found anywhere in Africa and as such, it is one of the continent’s most important story-telling mediums. It continues to be the primary language of a dynamic and devoted community who cherish and nurture it. M-Net understands the significance of Swahili and so we created a channel specifically to showcase it, a truly pioneering channel that we remain focused on and dedicated to.”

She goes on to say that, together with MultiChoice Tanzania, M-Net continues to believe in the vast talent, creativity and passion of Swahili filmmakers and as a result, will provide the relevant platforms to ensure that their work reaches a wide audience.

“There is such a wealth of great entertainment here that investing in organizing and facilitating these kinds of forums is something we take very seriously – not only as a time to operationally update the industry on the channel’s requirements but also to share the different lessons we’ve learnt and opportunities we see. Most of all we want to encourage collaboration and partnership, we want to build open relationships with our suppliers and supporters and we want to listen to what the market needs. Ultimately if we build a great channel for audiences, everyone benefits in the long-term. ”

Guests expected to attend the forum include producers, representatives from media governing bodies and media, with a special delegation of Kenyan filmmakers jetting in from Nairobi to also participate.

Meanwhile AfricaMagic Swahili recently marked six months on air, having launched on DStv channel 127 on July 1st last year. In Tanzania, AfricaMagic Swahili is available on several DStv bouquets including DStv Access, Family, Compact, Compact Plus and Premium. The channel is alsoavailable across a range of Swahili speaking countries including Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Burundi, Congo and the DRC.