07 Apr 2024

Botswana Ignite, an initiative to revitalise Botswana’s creative economy through collaboration of government and Steve Harvey Global was on April 5 launched in Gaborone.

The project, which will run for three years, will provide training and development for the creative and production industry in Botswana

It is will also nurture local talent and foster growth within the television and video production industry.

The all-encompassing project contains fully integrated programmes with multiple streams that all feed into creating a bigger, better and commercially successful television and film economy in Botswana.

Speaking at the launch of Botswana Ignite, Steve Harvey Global  chief legal officer and also Forge Media chief executive officer, Duncan Irwine said the project was designed to create the eco-system of the creatives in the country, encompassing mentorship and development, grow television related business and grow foreign revenue.

Irwine said the training and development, which would be entertainment and drama production model would deliver fully sponsored training courses which were a combination of master classes as well as on-location training and mentoring.

“This will be delivered congruently with the production of international shows working with highly experienced crews,” he said explaining that the model would have four pillars.

The first pillar, Irwine said would be the business of film, which was designed to enhance the future and create success in either film entrepreneurship or as employees in a successful film business.

 The second pillar, he said would be about entertainment formats, reality television and drama series to ensure that students were exposed to the world of television.

Irwine said the third pillar involved the fundamentals of production, where students would gain in-depth technical skills in the production of high-quality content.

“The fourth pillar is getting practical experience, because you simply cannot train interactive involvement, you also need to be on set. Students will receive hands-on practical skills and know-how in applying all the knowledge learnt,” he said.

Parallel to this, Irwine said there would also be a fully sponsored project for Wildlife Film School, which would be based in Kasane.

The project, he said would admit 20 students per course.

“The students on this course will be instructed by international lecturers and trainers who are actively working in the field and have many years of experience,” Irwine said.

He said students would not only be able to create and develop their own wildlife productions, but also had the correct experience to work alongside international producers such as the BBC Studios Natural History Unit, National Geographic among others.He said they would eventually do a mini documentary, which they would have created from conception, through research, scripting and filming until final post-production.

Deputy Permanent Secretary for Information and Broadcasting in the Ministry for State President, Oshinka Tsiang said the project was first announced in 2019 as a partnership with Steve Harvey Global to allow and facilitate the creative industry especially in the video and television and film industry in Botswana.

He said it was one of the key projects that would facilitate achievements of the knowledge-based economy, which President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi was pushing for.

The project, he said had several components, such as visibility study, which was completed in 2021, with the refurbishment of the Botswana Television auditorium so that it was able to support some of the works that needed to be done during this project.

Other components, Tsiang said was to procure equipment that would enable the efficiency of the work intended to be done.

“The final component was to get a contract partnership, which will drive the project, as we managed to get with Steve Harvey Global,” he said. ENDS