The online channel established under the Ministry of Youth, Gender, Sports and Culture aims to promote and showcase local talent and grow the local film and television industry. Speaking during the Content Creators Pitso organised by the National Arts Council of Botswana (NACB) in Gaborone on Tuesday, Paulo said the office under which the channel was established has seen their budget allocation decrease over the years. They both gave an overview of the content acquisition process highlighting that the channel has invested and spent a lot of funds on acquiring local content over the years. “While we want to acquire more local content, our budget allocation has been decreasing over the years. From P58 million in 2018 to P18 million in 2024, our budget has been decreasing due to changing priorities. Once a call for submissions is issued, we receive not less than 120 bids. But this P18m is not just for content acquisition but also office operation,” said Paulo.
Paulo also emphasised challenges with the turnaround time due to the lengthy process of evaluation of television shows. He called upon the film industry to bear with them as they are looking for ways to fast-track the process. He said NOW! TV will continue to support local filmmakers by purchasing content as well as continuous training of emerging filmmakers across the country. Meanwhile, creative activist, Eddie Mhigo, who gave an overview of perspectives from the industry outlining the challenges content creators face in Botswana, said local creatives are faced by the high cost of data among other challenges. He said this makes it expensive for people to watch content online.
Mhigo also highlighted the financial burden of producing content, stressing that creators should carefully consider these costs. However, Mhigo urged creators to educate themselves, do research, collaborate with other artists, and make use of the support available from different stakeholders in Botswana. The one day workshop aimed at bringing together a diverse group of stakeholders in the content creation industry, including television stations, filmmakers, actors, producers, and directors.
