Netflix, an American subscription streaming service and production company, will help produce three movies in Kenya and invest Sh33-million ($284,719.05) to train actors in the country.
The US streaming service said that the three productions will be revealed later, close to their premier dates on the platform. The sponsor will allow Kenyan students to study film and TV-focused courses in local colleges and universities abroad.
According to Business Daily, the disclosures are part of a memorandum of understanding signed between Netflix and the ICT ministry of Kenya to improve skill capacity and support the local movie industry.
“Netflix is excited by the potential of Kenya’s next generation of creative storytellers. We believe there are great stories in Kenya and we want to do our part for Kenya’s creative community by supporting the development of the local film and TV industry and talent pipelines, both in front of and behind the camera, through partnership initiatives,” said Netflix’s Director of Series in Africa, Dorothy Ghettuba.
“We also hope that the stories will encompass themes which are unique to Kenya, which our global audiences will find appealing,” Ghettuba said.
In March, Netflix announced that it would be investing $62-million into SA film production and that it would start showing more South African content and productions on the streaming platform that currently has more than 200 million subscribers from 190 countries.
Netflix reported a staggering loss of 200,000 subscribers in the first quarter of 2022. As a result, the giant streaming service company resorted to introducing a cheaper plan that will allow advertisements on the platform, which is something of a novelty considering the fact that it had rejected the idea in the past.
The US streaming service also said it would no longer allow password-sharing on the platform because it wanted to increase its subscribers. Netflix also hopes it will broaden its customer base by investing in Africa.
“We welcome this partnership with Netflix because Kenya has many stories to tell the world and all the initiatives with the various partners will help us ensure we have the ability to create quality stories,” said ICT ministry Cabinet Secretary Joe Mucheru.
By Zintle Nkohla
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