23 May 2024

Just a month after the launch of Botswana Ignite, an initiative by government to revitalise the creative economy through collaboration with Steve Harvey Global, the coordinators of the project are impressed with progress. 

The initiative, with pillars of training and development, wildlife film school, mentorship and development as well as Family Feud game show, is on a roll with training and development having kick-started with the television academy. 

“We have 21 students in class and we are impressed with them. They are a fantastic bright dynamic young minds and we are excited with this first group,” said Steve Harvey Global and Forge Media representative, Duncan Irvine in an interview. 

Irvine said the television academy students were housed at the training wing of Botswana Television, and they are between the classroom and shooting outside. “We kicked-off our first module, which we call the business of film, and started by teaching them how to package and pitch their ideas as well as structure the budgets,” Irvine explained. 

He said the course would run for five months, and said during that time the students would be rotated through the productions, being in class for a period of time and then move to production. 

“Next week they will start engaging with Family Feud production team to start learning and do a deep dive in game shows,” Irvine said. The wildlife film school also has the first 20 batch of students enrolled, and will start their training programme in June in Kasane. 

Irvine further said they were impressed with the quality of students, both on the television academy and wildlife film school. Regarding the development and mentorship pillar, he said the programme has not kicked off yet. 

“We are still awaiting the announcement of the three programmes that have been selected by Botswana television, and as soon as we know which production companies are, we will then engage with them to help with developing their productions,” he said. The Botswana Ignite project will run for three years and is one of the key projects that will enable the achievement of the knowledge-based economy, which President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi is pushing for. 

The project was first announced in 2019 and will facilitate the country’s creative industry especially in the video and television. ENDS