Africa-Press – Botswana. A report published by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) states that there is need for a sustainable business model for local films in order to tap into the economic potential of this sector.
In their report entitled: The African Film Industry: trends, challenges and opportunities for growth, UNESCO notes “In the absence of a Film Commission, Botswana lacks a dedicated department and specific mechanisms to promote Botswana as a potential film location or to facilitate foreign shoots”. They also add that besides local content quotas regulations for broadcast, Botswana does not provide incentives for the private sector to invest in local content.
UNESCO which is a specialised agency of the United Nations aimed at promoting international cooperation in the arts and sciences states that in the absence of a structured financing, distribution, and monetisation system for film, “a handful of these production companies compete over a limited number of high budget commercial or corporate projects, while the others survive by producing small corporate or wedding videos and by responding to tenders from the public television channel BTV”.
Statistics show that Botswana has over 260 active production companies and experts estimate that revenue generated from film sales totals around US$5,5 million annually.
“Botswana does not have a public funding scheme that specifically targets the film and audiovisual industry. However, CIPA (the Companies and Intellectual Property Authority) does offer grants of US$928 to US$92,837, funded through the Levy on Technical Devices Fund (LTDF) for creative and performing arts projects, for which filmmakers can apply,” states part of the report. The funding is however believed to be largely insufficient and takes too long for producers to chase and unlock, preventing filmmakers from consistently practicing their craft and stifling the growth of the sector.”
The report also notes that while institutions such as University of Botswana, Limkokwing University College of Creative Technology, and the Arts Without Limits (AWIL) College offer film-related undergraduate programmes, these programmes lack a strong practical component”.
As a recommendation for financing the film and audio-visual sector, the report states that “the Levy on Technical Devices Fund (LTDF) launched by the Companies and Intellectual Property Authority (CIPA) can provide one model for the financing of the film and audiovisual sector on which the industry as a whole could expand”.
Among other things, the report notes that approximately 60% of revenue, is lost from the illegal sharing and sale of creative content. While cinema exhibition has to an extent supported and developed local filmmaking talent, the report states that “However, practitioners estimate that the average market share of local films released in cinemas in the country is at less than 10% due to lack of production opportunities and expertise”.
While the report notes the collapse of the once promising DVD market due to the advent of streaming, it states that there is need to come up with a sustainable business model for local films. While the country’s national broadcaster Botswana TV, or BTV, aims to carry at least 60% local content this has “been limited due to insufficient small budget”.
Among other things, the report highlights that Botswana does not have a public funding scheme that specifically targets the film and audiovisual industry. Furthermore, creating a viable business model for local streaming platforms in Botswana remains challenging due to the size of the market.
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