Staff Reporter
THE Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) – a partnership primarily anchored by the Namibia Content Creation Plan, which is expected to facilitate the production of a National Soap Opera, among other productions.
The Minister of Education, Sanet Steenkamp, revealed that one of the immediate priorities under the partnership is the implementation of the Local Content Plan developed by the Namibia Film Commission (NFC). The plan forms a key part of the Government’s N$50 million allocation towards Creative Industries programmes.
She revealed that, of this allocation, N$17.5 million has been earmarked for the Local Content Plan, which will support the production of a National Soap Opera (N$8.64 million), a limited television series (N$3.38 million), and short films from every region (N$3.5 million). She added that N$1.73 million has been allocated to the Equipment Access and Management Programme, while N$250,000 has been allocated for programme administration, marketing and implementation.
“The investment is expected to create approximately 470 direct employment opportunities, while benefiting many more people indirectly across the creative value chain. This means opportunities for writers, actors, directors, producers, cinematographers, editors, sound technicians, designers, production crews and many others,” Steenkamp said.
Speaking at the MoU signing, Minister of Information and Communication Technology Emma Theofelus described the partnership as timely and aligned with the objectives of the Sixth National Development Plan (NDP6).
“NDP6 specifically identifies an ‘enhanced and enabled arts and creative industries ecosystem’ that drives human creativity as a national resource for social and economic development. Importantly, NDP6 sets an ambitious target of increasing the contribution of creative industries employment to 2% by 2030 and the contribution to GDP to 2.8% through its products and services. These are not merely cultural aspirations but economic development targets that such partnerships enable us to achieve,” Theofelus said.
She explained that, through this partnership, the Government aims to strengthen the entire film value chain by developing skills and professional standards, nurturing emerging filmmakers and supporting creative enterprises. According to her, the initiative will additionally improve access to markets and information by creating pathways for Namibian stories and productions to reach regional and international audiences.
She further highlighted the proposed Information, Research and Marketing Unit, which is expected to provide reliable market data to help the Government and industry stakeholders make informed decisions, identify investment opportunities and demonstrate the economic contribution of the creative sector.
“The areas of cooperation under this MOU, namely capacity building, information, research and marketing, intellectual property rights protection, and accelerator and mentorship programmes, provide a practical mechanism to help Government move from recognising the potential of the creative sector to deliberately building the ecosystem required for it to grow. These interventions are essential building blocks of a competitive creative economy.
“Film is particularly strategic within this ecosystem. Film connects multiple industries, from acting, writing, directing and music to fashion, tourism, hospitality, transport, technology and marketing. A stronger Namibian film industry therefore creates opportunities far beyond the production of a movie itself,” Theofelus continued.
Picture for illustrative purposes only. Photo: Namibia Film School
