‘Digitisation creates hundreds of jobs in Chipinge’

THE ongoing digital broadcasting migration project has created hundreds of jobs in Chipinge District after the local film industry received funding for content creation from Government.

For long, the film industry in small towns like Chipinge had failed to break through owing to lack of funding, but the problem seems to have been dealt with once and for all after Government poured in millions of dollars towards the revival of the industry.

To date, two productions — Gaza, a soap opera, which is being directed by award-winning director, Mr Ben Mahaka and a 13 episode documentary, Inside Ndau Culture, which is being produced by another award-winning choreographer Mr Joseph Bhasera in Chipinge — are currently being done and are expected to be completed soon in Chipinge.

The two productions have seen scores of people being directly or indirectly employed during the content creation process.

Besides employing the cast and crew, the projects’ beneficiaries also include service providers such as caterers, transport operators, make-up artistes and boutiques for costume designing.

Chipinge district information officer Mr Zaine Dube said he was excited with progress made so far as the content had been of high quality.

“The people of Chipinge were responding well and embracing the revolution in the media industry.”