After two years of the successful introduction of local content on their Satellite TV, Multichoice Botswana has announced that there will be an increase of Botswana content on the DSTV platform.
The cable TV aired three local shows, date my family, My Botswana Plate and My Botswana Top 5 in the past two years and the success of these shows has prompted Multichoice to add more local content.
Speaking at a media engagement held at Setlhoa Office park last week Thursday (June 13, 2024), Multichoice Botswana Managing Director, Stephanie Pally revealed said that they will first air ‘Sgela’, a locally produced drama by award-winning producer, Thabiso Maretlwaneng of Dee-Zone Productions.
“Later on this year we will also have three local movies shot, produced, and directed by Batswana that will air on Mzanzi Biskop, a scope in the Multichoice group which has secured investment for the three movies. All actors, actresses and everyone who will be part of the production will be from Botswana,” she said.
Pillay further noted that in 2023 they announced a call for submission for the three film concepts to be aired on Mzansi Biskop and Johnson Otladisa was selected to be the production supervisor and they are currently on pre-production stage, for films that are expected to air early in November.
Despite the good news on the increase of local content, Head of Corporate Affairs at Multichoice, Oesi Thothe reported on how piracy has resulted in decline of revenue for Multichoice Botswana.
“We have a lot of people using South African decoders and free to air decoders which are illegal but are sold and bought by people who know that they are illegal. This is one of the factors contributing to the low sales in Botswana,” she said.
Thothe also explained that the company has since embarked on a journey which started last year, together with CIPA and Botswana Police Service going around local stores confiscating SA decoders and Free to air ones.
“Increasing our local content on DSTV is another way of trying to curb locals from using foreign decoders, and start using their own, knowing very well they will be local talent to watch,”