In their mandate to professionalise, support, develop and promote creative & cultural industries locally, regionally, and internationally, today the National Art Council of Botswana hosted a number of different creative think tanks to a round table in Gaborone at Avani Gaborone Resort & Casino to plot ways to monetize the sector. The event aimed to bring together a diverse group of stakeholders in the content creation industry, including television stations, filmmakers, actors, producers, and directors.
Led by its CEO, Shombi Ellis acknowledged and celebrated local creative leasers who are making a substantial impact both locally and internationally such as Thabiso Maretlwaneng of the Sgela fame that currently airs on Moja Love. The Pitso gave the creative to learn about new opportunities and facilitate discussions on the current landscape of content acquisition in Botswana, create a platform for buyers of content to meet with producers and discuss their needs and expectations and to address the quality standards and specific requirements that buyers are looking for when purchasing content.
For his efforts and experience in the creative sector, Maretlwaneng “He spoke about narrated how Sgela, a self-funded drama series, was shot in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic and is now airing on DSTV Channel, Moja Love in 2024. Maretlwaneng encouraged creators to be patient, as it took time before the series finally aired on the international channel Moja Love. He offered valuable tips on how to sell content, market and advertise their work, and the importance of forming partnerships and collaborations as film production companies in Botswana.
Meanwhile one of the high flying content creators, Masego Mohwasa, Head of Content and Partnerships at YTV Botswana highlighted the station’s content strategy, which aligns to building partnerships with creators, and ensuring that programming meets industry standards; all key to supporting the growth of Botswana’s content landscape. She emphasized the importance of collaboration and the opportunities available for content creators to reach broader audiences and secure valuable deals. Mohwasa also encouraged content producers to explore other ways of commercializing their projects, such as licensing.
Other key speakers included Gao Kwalate and Eric Paulo, from NOW TV a channel that aims to promote and showcase local talent, and grow the local film and television industry. They both gave an overview of the content acquisition process highlighting that the channel has invested and spent a lot of funds on acquiring local content over the years for those who want to venture into television and film. Their efforts shared same sentiments shared by Vusa Ziga from Botswana Ignite, who outlined their mandate in the content creation industry. He said their goals include training and developing the TV industry, telling local stories, increasing local production, and supporting the growth of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMMEs). Additionally, they plan to establish a Film Commission to internationally market Botswana as a film location, manage and support inbound productions, and centralize permitting, crewing, and local business efforts.
Interestingly, Joel Thuto, Botswana Television’s (BTV) Managing Director, revealed that the station’s content is primarily from independent producers (44%) and in-house productions (32%). Thuto also highlighted that the station is still pushing for 80:20 content ratio and is at 71% of local content. He emphasized that upcoming reforms for the television station focus on standardizing cost, to agree on a rate card with film association, the purchasing of unsolicited concepts and partnering with private companies to develop new content.
Furthermore, the Chief Executive Officer of the Copyright Society of Botswana (COSBOTS), Mr. Letlhogonolo Makwinja, addressed creatives on issues relating to intellectual property in content creation, encouraging creatives to make use of them as they are available for support. He emphasized that creatives should protect their content through COSBOTS, as protecting their content can create income for them.
However, creative activist, Mr Eddie Mhigo gave the audience an overview of perspectives from industry outlining the challenges content creators face in Botswana. He mentioned the high cost of data, which makes it expensive for people to watch content online. He also talked about the financial burden of producing content, stressing that creators should carefully consider these costs. Moreover, Mhigo urged creators to educate themselves, do research, collaborate with other artists, and make use of the support available from different stakeholders in Botswana.
