Netflix has committed $1m towards a scholarship fund for film and TV students in Sub-Saharan Africa.
The Netflix Creative Equity Scholarship fund forms part of Netflix’s Creative Equity Fund, which was launched in 2021 to be allocated to various initiatives around the world across the next five years.
The fund will cover the costs for tuition, accommodation, study materials and living expenses at institutions where students have gained admission to pursue a course of study in the TV and film disciplines in the 2022 academic year.
It launches with an open call for applications from the Southern African Development Community region, in partnership with South African social investment fund management and advisory firm Tshikululu Social Investments.
The scholarship money will also be available to students from other parts of Africa. The fund administration partners for East Africa and the West and Central Africa regions will be announced in due course.
The qualifying SADC institutions are AACA Film and Acting School, AFDA, Boston Media House, Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT), City Varsity, Durban University of Technology (DUT), Tshwane University of Technology (TUT), University of Cape Town (UCT), University of Johannesburg (UJ), University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), University of Pretoria (UP), and University of the Witwatersrand.
Further partners for East Africa and the West and Central Africa regions will be confirmed in due course.
Ben Amadasun, Netflix Director of Content in Africa, said: “Netflix is excited by the potential of the next generation of storytellers and we’re committed to investing in the future of African storytelling in the long-term. We believe there are great stories to be told from Africa and we want to play our part by supporting students who are passionate about the film and TV industry so they too, can ultimately contribute to the creative ecosystem by bringing more unique voices and diverse perspectives to African storytelling that our global audiences find appealing.”
