- as Akwaaba Magic marks first anniversary
Deputy Minister for Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC), Mark Okraku-Mantey, has called on all stakeholders to work collaboratively to bounce back the vibrant movie industry the country once had.
He said as government takes steps to engage investors for potential collaborations toward generating the needed revenue for the Ghanaian film industry, all hands are needed on deck to improve the space. He also urged local movie producers to do well to include the Ghanaian culture in the film production in order to sustain it and ensure quality as a means to market the country.
He made these remarks at the one-year anniversary celebration of Akwaaba magic – a 100 percent Ghanaian content channel available exclusively on DStv and GOtv across the African continent, where he praised the team for their contribution toward improving the movie industry and providing employment for the youths.
For his part, the Managing Director of MultiChoice Ghana, Alex Okyere, also indicated that its focus to bring the best local content to the homes of Ghanaian and the Africa continent as a whole requires support from the local industry to harness the potential of it players. He added that the industry, when given the needed support, will soon be counted as one of the main contributors to country’s GDP.
According to him the Akwaaba Magic’s one year journey, for instance, has provided jobs for over 1,000 cast and crew, while unearthing the talent of many local actors. This stride, he believes, is changing the face of the industry which was hit by the impact of COVID-19, hence, confident the film industry has potential and will change for the better if invested in.
Content piracy
Mr. Okyere also raised concerns on how content piracy and weak regulatory frameworks are affecting the industry, saying that appropriate authorities must pay attention to them. “Despite the happy song we sing today, the industry is faced with challenges such as content piracy, weak regulatory framework and many others, and we all have to check this if we are to rub shoulders with the big names around the world”, he said.
Akwaaba Magic Abusua launched
The celebration also saw the new Akwaaba Magic Abusua, which is currently live on DStv Channel 149 and 108 on GOtv, launched. This is to continue to deliver on its mandate of providing the best in local storytelling, and the aim of giving more customers exhilarating local content at a competitive price.
For Alex Okyere, the new Akwaaba Magic Abusua channel affirms the strong potential of the film and creative industry to become a major contributor to the GDP of Ghana and MultiChoice’s commitment to partner in this growth agenda.
He noted that a major part of their mission as a business is to support the film and television industry using platforms like the new Akwaaba Magic Abusua to deliver rich, authentic and diverse Ghana storylines into the homes of millions across the continent.
“We are proud of the role that we are currently playing in the TV and entertainment sector in Ghana, and will continuously study sociographic and economic factors that influence consumption in a competitive market and adjust ourselves accordingly to ensure that we are providing relevant and topical content at a great value,” added Kennedy Dankyi-Appah, Channel Head for Akwaaba Magic.
