N$17.5m for creative industry jobs … investment in talent, quality production

Through a cross-institutional plan of action, the government plans to create more than 470 direct employment opportunities within the country’s creative industry.

This will see the Namibia Film Commission (NFC) roll out a N$17.5 million Local Content Plan.

On Monday, the Ministry of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sports and Culture and the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), which will pave the way for the development of Namibia’s Arts and Creative Industries plan of action.

A key area of cooperation between the two ministries is the implementation of the Local Content Plan formulated by the NFC, which represents a key component of the government’s broader N$50 million allocation towards the creative industries programmes.

President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has elevated Namibia’s culture and creative industries to a sector of national strategic priority, backing it with a broader N$50 million government allocation to drive youth empowerment and economic transformation.

Also, through the National Youth Development Fund (NYDF), which was allocated N$257 million by government, Nandi-Ndaitwah has encouraged young Namibians to apply for collateral-free financing for creative industry ventures.

Her administration is shifting the sector from mere entertainment to a sustainable economic engine capable of creating jobs, building wealth and empowering the youth, with a long-term plan to see it double its gross domestic product contribution from 1.5% to 3%.

Speaking during Monday’s signing ceremony, education and culture minister Sanet Steenkamp said the MoU demonstrates the government’s commitment to cross-institutional collaboration to create an enabling environment for the growth of the creative industries.

Of the N$17.5 million allocation for the local content plan, N$8.64 million will go towards the national soap opera production, while N$3.38 million will support the production of limited television series.

Furthermore, N$3.5 million has been allocated to produce short films in each of the 14 regions.

More than N$1.73 million has been allocated towards the equipment access and management programme, while N$250 000 will support the programme administration, marketing and implementation.

Steenkamp underscored that this investment is twofold, as it caters to actual production and serves as a long-term investment in people and talents.

Through the N$17.5 million local content plan, the government targets the creation of approximately 470 direct jobs that will benefit 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. Our objective is, therefore, not only to support content production but also to strengthen a broader creative ecosystem in which Namibians can develop skills, gain experience, create businesses and build sustainable livelihoods,” said the minister.

The implementation of the local content plan will be undertaken against agreed deliverables and milestones, with the associated funding to be released in three tranches linked to the achievement of agreed deliverables.

“This is intended to ensure that public resources are properly managed, and that implementation remains focused on measurable results. We want to see clear inputs and outputs: productions completed, jobs created, skills developed, equipment made available, enterprises supported and Namibian content reaching audiences,” stated Steenkamp.

Meanwhile, information and communication minister Emma Theofelus highlighted that the creative economy is increasingly recognised globally as an important source of jobs, entrepreneurship and export opportunities.

–ohembapu@nepc.com.na