Netflix, the world’s most popular entertainment streaming service, has announced $1 million to the Netflix Creative Equity Scholarship Fund (CESF), which will support film and television students in Sub-Saharan Africa. The scholarship fund is part of Netflix’s global Netflix Creative Equity fund, which was created in 2021 with the purpose of establishing a strong, diversified pipeline of creatives around the world. The fund will be given to various programs over the next five years.
The scholarship fund will cover tuition, accommodation, study materials, and living expenses at institutions where beneficiaries have been accepted to pursue a course of study in the television and film disciplines during the 2022 academic year.
The Netflix CESF will be rolled out across the region in the academic year beginning in 2022, beginning with an open call for applications in the Southern African Development Community (SADC), in partnership with Tshikululu Social Investments, a social investment fund management and advisory firm in Southern Africa. In due course, fund administration partners for East Africa, West Africa, and Central Africa will be announced.
“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,” says Ben Amadasun, Netflix Director of Content in Africa. “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.”
How it works:
The Netflix CESF is designed to provide financial assistance, through full scholarships, at partner higher educational institutions (HEI) in South Africa to support the formal qualification and training of aspiring creatives from a SADC region country that wish to study in South Africa, and are able to obtain the necessary permissions to do so. The following countries will be eligible: Angola, Botswana, Comoros, Democratic Republic of Congo, Eswatini, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
In the SADC region, the fund will be available to students who have obtained admission to study in various film & TV-focused disciplines, for the 2022 academic year, at the following partner institutions:
- 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)
- University of the Witwatersrand (Wits)
Students interested in applying for scholarships for the 2022 academic year will be able to find application criteria, a list of partner higher education institutions (HEI) or Visit Tshikululu’s website for additional information.
Applications are now open until 04 February 2022 at 23h59 CAT.
The Netflix CESF will also benefit students from other parts of Africa – particularly East Africa as well as West and Central Africa. Fund administration partners for East Africa and the West and Central Africa regions will be announced, along with the calls for applications, in due course.
