that go above and beyond the academic
requirements. Students are deliberately
put in spaces that expose their work
to potential employer partners and are
equipped with skills that not only help
them navigate the employment world but
also thrive in it.
But accessible alternatives do exist.
YouTube University, as it is popularly
known, is available to anyone with an
internet connection and an internet-
enabled gadget, and literally anyone can
learn anything from the millions of how-
to videos posted daily on the platform.
It would be a fantastic opportunity if
existing powerhouses, like the recently
opened Tyler Perry Studios, could source
talent from Africa or partner with African
institutions to create opportunities for
young Africans to grow and hone their
skills through scholarships, grants, boot
camps and master-classes, as well as equip
them with the tools to continue creating
content on their own while opening up
their distribution platforms to a broader
consumer base that will stream in revenue
that supports the sustainability of African
creative growth.
Giving African techies funding and a plat-
form where they are equipped with the tools
and skills to create sustainable technology
that solves problems for Africa by Africans
begins to open up a world of possibilities fa-
cilitated by world-class tutorship. The tal-
ent exists, all it needs is identifying, invest-
ing, nurturing, facilities and the potential
for sustainable employment.
In this way, we would ensure that
we offer our best people - musicians,
designers, programmers, producers, actors
- a platform, promoting them to get
international exposure and opportunities.
We need to market ourselves better.
Secondly, through existing technological
institutions, more collaborative efforts
can be created to further skill African
“techies” to attract investment. Incubation
hubs, think tanks, student exchange
programmes fostered by both local and
global institutions like Rubika, HEVA,
MIT, Google, Microsoft, IBM and others
Creative Technology courses in
- 2D Animation
- Video Game Design
& Development
- Mobile App Development
- Multimedia
Register Now
42 MAL34/20 ISSUE
create a platform for techies to thrive.
Giving them funding and a platform
where they are equipped with the tools and
skills to create sustainable technology that
solves problems for Africa by Africans
begins to open up a world of possibilities
facilitated by world-class tutorship. The
talent exists, all it needs is identifying,
investing, nurturing, facilities and the
potential for sustainable employment.
Third, we can - and should - get out of our
own way. As African content creators and
producers, we more than have the capacity