25th November 2020
Own Correspondent
Botswana Fibre Networks, wholesale provider of national and international telecommunication infrastructure, today signed contracts with 20 local content producers and filmmakers who will provide additional local programming for the platform.
This follows the signing of 12 local content producers (and 90 titles) to UPIC tv in July2020. UPIC tv will play a valuable role in transforming and diversifying Botswana’s economy through investment in the creative industry and ICT sector.
Mogomotsi Banabotlhe, Acting Deputy Permanent Secretary – ICT in the Ministry of Transport and Communications said, “The UPIC tv platform presents us with an opportunity to do something really impactful for Botswana’s digital and creative economy, as it gives local producers a distribution channel, to showcase their wonderful work to Batswana and the restoftheworld.Ourstoriesmatteranddeserveaplaceintheglobalfilmand television market.”
Mabua Mabua, BoFiNet CEO said, “It has been said, a few times today and during the night of the launch that our stories matter, and I will also add my voice to amplify these sentiments and implore young creatives and artists to keep telling our stories.”
He said, “We are only at the beginning of our journey with this platform and it is our wish to see a lot more thrilling local stories on UPIC tv. Our stories are rich, unique and are at the core of who we are as Batswana and I would really like to congratulate all of you,for your passion and talent in telling these stories.”
As audiences become more discerning and demand for local content grows, BoFiNet’s introduction of UPICtv will supplement already-existing platforms. The platform offers video-on-demand services and also includes access to online TV and radio streaming. To date, UPICtv has secured 91 local titles which accounts for 41% of overall content. BoFiNet aims to increase local content on the platform to 80% over the next 3 years.
Users log into the platform and can subscribe to a one-week free trial. One account can host up to three profiles and UPICtv is accessible from a variety of devices. UPICtv is a homegrown subscription-based streaming service which will host a bouquet of local and international titles and will have a particular focus on locally produced dramas, movies, comedies and continuity programmes.
Afentse Lekolwane of Flave Production, spoke of the relevance of Botswana’s stories, highlighting that storytelling is innate and a key part of our culture.
“I remember that my grandmother used to tell us stories when we were young. When movies like Jurassic Park came out, I had already heard of Kgogomodumo. Even if we run out of original stories to produce, we have a wealth of traditional tales that we can adapt to the new digital medium,” said Lekolwane.
She said, “One day this country will run out of diamonds, but we will never run out a story worth telling. Our minds are bottomless story jars – worst case scenario we will run to book adaptation – before I watched spielbergs’s Jurassic park I read about sankhambi and kgogomodumo…. Those were abnormal creatures.”
