Back to All News
Strengthening the Foundation of Quality Storytelling in AfricaPlay Video
Play Video
Social Impact
14 June 2021
GlobalNigeriaKenyaSouth AfricaZimbabweMozambique
This week Netflix kicks off 2 creative industry skills development initiatives in Africa: a 3-month training programme with 12 participants in partnership with Realness Institute and an APost Lab post-production workshop for film & TV professionals.
There's a African humanist philosophy called Ubuntu' which broadly means, I am, because you are'. This idea that we are, because of others' aptly captures the essence of Netflix's approach to its partnership with Africa's creative industries because, without the existence of our storytellers, our favourite Netflix stories wouldn't be possible.
Africa has an amazing pool of talent - both in front and behind the camera - and we're committed to investing in African stories and talent long-term. We also recognise that being part of the creative communities comes with responsibilities, in particular, the need to develop the talent pipeline and give new voices a chance to be heard. This can only happen through concerted efforts and investment in talent development - which is extremely important for us - as well as knowledge transfer or skills enhancement programmes which are all supported by Netflix's Grow Creative team.
Last year, Netflix partnered with the Realness Institute on two programmes: an Episodic Writers Lab focused on South Africa, Kenya and Nigeria, and a Development Executive Traineeship (DET) for candidates across the Sub-Saharan Africa region. From over 500 applications, 12 creatives from Kenya, Nigeria, Mozambique, South Africa and Zimbabwe were chosen to participate in these two inaugural three-month programmes which will run until September 2021.
At the Episodic Lab (EPL), the writers were selected based on their story ideas and will develop these concepts alongside expert story consultants and creative producers. They will also undergo creative training and receive feedback from the Netflix team. At the end of the lab, each writer will have an opportunity to pitch their incubated concept to Netflix to have their series further developed for production.
The writers & their story concepts: Ayoade Adeyanju with Agent 419; Dominique Jossie with Fafi; Andile Ngcizela with Drummies; Mary Waireri with Sheitain; Kehinde Joseph with Osupa and Kudakwashe Maradzika with Bad Influencer.
Simultaneously, the six participants in the Development Executive Traineeship (DET) will fully immerse themselves in the story development process. Their training will include bolstering their technical skills by partnering them with the EPL writers to develop story concepts into quality productions. This skill creates opportunities for professionals to work with national film bodies, film commissions, philanthropists, story consultants and critics.
6 finalists selected for the Development Executive Training by Realness Institute in partnership with Netflix in Africa
Identifying gaps in skills has been one of our biggest learnings and, together with our creative partners, we want to do more to educate and empower those in the industry, and those hoping to break through. In June, Netflix will host a 5-day workshop focusing on post-production. The APost Lab is aimed at training film & television professionals from across Africa on technical best practices, technical and creative support methods, and methods to facilitate the best creative process. Thirty-two participants have been invited to participate in the workshops while more than 100 film & TV professionals from across the continent will be part of the Masterclasses.
We want to be a good partner for Africa's creative industries. We're energised and excited by the many opportunities that lie ahead for us to help strengthen the quality of African storytelling and to bring fresh voices to our members in Africa and around the world.
North America Stories
30/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/05/2026
Zero in on one that says yes (and no)
Andy Marken May 29, 2026
0 Comments
Hero image courtesy of Deposit Photos
For content creators the most difficu...
29/05/2026
With InfoComm 2026 just weeks away, NDI is giving attendees plenty of reasons to...
29/05/2026
Reaffirming a partnership that has defined Canadian sports broadcasting since 19...
29/05/2026
Mobile/tablet is No. 2 device for watching TV, suggesting that the sports-production industry needs to take another look at the format
Ring Digital's Sprin...
29/05/2026
Berliner Ensemble, one of Berlin's five major theater companies, has expande...
29/05/2026
Solid State Logic will showcase its new compact, fly-away TCA Tour audio product...
29/05/2026
Gerald (Jerry) Pierce, a pioneering technologist who helped shape the digital transformation of the motion picture industry, passed away last month on April 12 ...
29/05/2026
Paramount+ will be the English-language U.S. home for Barclays Women's Super...
29/05/2026
Further strengthening its virtualisation strategy to fully support broadcasters ...
29/05/2026
Swiss broadcaster Canal Alpha has deployed Harmonic's award-winning, software-based XOS Advanced Media Processor to modernize playout operations across cant...
29/05/2026
PTZOptics will showcase a new generation of intelligent video workflows at InfoComm 2026, June 17-19, Las Vegas. Visitors to booth N8227 will see how PTZOptics ...
29/05/2026
Arizona's Family has launched the Arizona's Family Sports (AZFS) streaming app, a new direct-to-consumer destination for live, local sports. The app is ...
29/05/2026
Starting in 2027, DAZN will be the exclusive home of The Canadian Football Leagu...
29/05/2026
Comcast Business has detailed the advanced network infrastructure it has deploye...
29/05/2026
In two-day event, leaders from academia and industry explored solutions to chall...
29/05/2026
The Basketball Tournament (TBT), now entering their 13th year of competition, ha...
29/05/2026
Roku has launched FOX One as a Premium Subscription on The Roku Channel in the U.S. Roku customers can now subscribe to FOX One using their Roku account for liv...
29/05/2026
In its sixth year, the broadcaster's coverage has become a global brand and ...
29/05/2026
Ratings Roundup is a rundown of recent ratings news and is derived from press re...
29/05/2026
Gerald (Jerry) Pierce, a pioneering technologist who helped shape the digital transformation of the motion picture industry, died April 12, 2026, at his home in...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Comparing 5 AI Video Enhancers for Restoring Old Video Quality
Kate Luvis May 29, 2026
0 Comments
Digitizing VHS, MiniDV, and other legacy formats doe...
29/05/2026
Studio Hamburg Builds New Post Pipeline with DaVinci Resolve Studio
Brie Clayton May 29, 2026
0 Comments
Workflow replaces a patchwork of legacy tools...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
At the Intersection of Music and Dance, an Epic Collaboration Boston Conservatory musicians and dancers found creative parallels in their recent performance o...
29/05/2026
Something fundamental has shifted in how people consume media. Audiences aren't abandoning television or radio content; they're just expanding how, wher...
29/05/2026
Back to All News
The Official Trailer of Physical 100 Italy, on Netflix From Se...
29/05/2026
Experimental HIV vaccine achieves a long-sought goal In a first for the field, all non-human primates given a new series of vaccines generated antibodies capabl...
28/05/2026
FOX Sports' MLB coverage dominated the night at the 47th Annual Sports Emmy ...
28/05/2026
One of the most memorable postseasons in baseball history would have had no memo...
28/05/2026
NBC's Sunday Night Football is among the most-decorated and most-watched pro...
28/05/2026
The 2026 Sports Emmys marked a watershed moment for Prime Video Sports. After bu...
28/05/2026
Hosted by ESPN Senior Writer Ryan McGee, the ceremony honored winners from athletic departments, conference offices, professional networks, production companies...
28/05/2026
Major rights-holders rolled out their 2026 college football slates today, offering a first look at marquee windows, kickoff partners, and conference distributio...
28/05/2026
The 4 Nations Face-Off, an international competition that launched in February 2...
28/05/2026
Soccer is a truly global sport, and, to match the U.S. viewing audience's in...
28/05/2026
The NFL Today, CBS Sports' top-of-the-line NFL studio show, has a storied hi...
28/05/2026
Prime Video is no stranger to innovation, and, within the realm of live streamin...
28/05/2026
The crack of the bat, the pop of the glove, and the cheer of the crowd: those are three prime examples of the glorious sounds fans hear on televised baseball ga...
28/05/2026
Every year, March Madness captivates the entire sports world. Nonstop action, un...
Back to All News
