“There will be no more important issue in the world—not energy, not oil, not water—than that of talent. The places that develop talent, motivate talent, and use talent will be the places that move forward in the world,”  says Professor Phillip Clay, former chancellor of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Africa is plagued with many inadequacies, but talent shortage—across all industries and sectors—has never been one of the continent’s problems. With an estimated population of 1.52 billion and the youngest population globally (over 400 million youths), Africa’s entertainment industry, in particular, seems to be at the forefront of this talent overflow. From budding storytellers to instrumentalists-turned-producers, we’ve seen a handful of these talents become household names after their discovery.

The key is discovery and honing, and that’s what MultiChoice has been doing over the past six years through the MultiChoice Talent Factory (MTF). Founded in 1994, MultiChoice is Africa’s leading entertainment platform, offering a wide range of digital products including DStv, GOtv, Showmax, M-Net, SuperSport, Irdeto, and KingMakers. Over 23.5 million households use these products in 50 markets across sub-Saharan Africa.

The Talent Factory is a fully funded initiative designed to groom African creatives who’ll tell African stories with emerging technologies. “The real reason for this masterclass is to actually touch the whole area of the industry with information. We’ve done so experimentally, but there’s much we can do with passion. The world is an amazing technological space; things are changing at an alarming rate. So, we are not talking about fundamentals only, we’re talking about how to bring knowledge to the table that’s current, global, and the best practice; that’s the way we can create a future place,” Femi Odegbemi, West Africa Academy Director from 2018 to 2021, told The Guardian in 2019.

The MTF has been consistent with this over the years, onboarding over 20 aspiring digital storytellers per cohort from East Africa, West Africa, and Southern Africa. Successful applicants undergo a six-week selection process, including interviews and adjudication, before making it into the rigorous and comprehensive 12-month programme that blends theory with hands-on experience in cinematography, editing, audio production, storytelling, and other related skills. As part of the programme, students also undertake a three-month immersion in various Africa Magic and SuperSport projects such as Big Brother Naija, Nigerian Idol, The Experience, and many other Africa Magic productions—all in a bid to be refined into industry-ready professionals.

The results have been evident. MTF alumni from different cohorts have been making strides in African productions. Films like “Grown’’ and “Her Dark Past” were final projects of the MTF Class of 2023, while five alumni announced themselves to the global stage after securing nominations across three categories at the 2023 Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards (AMVCA).

The impact doesn’t just stop at honing creative talents; the initiative also fosters entrepreneurship. According to Academy Director Atinuke Babatunde, “Over 50% of alumni have established their own production companies where they are hiring and empowering other people, thus adding to the economic footprints of their various nations.”

After a successful 2024 cohort, MFT has opened up applications for its 2025 fully-funded academic year, with submissions closing on September 15.