The Creative Equity Scholarship Fund for Africa (CESF) will financially support the next generation of storytellers in Sub-Saharan Africa
Netflix, the world’s leading entertainment streaming service, has announced a commitment of US$1 million towards the newly-established Netflix Creative Equity Scholarship Fund (CESF) for film and TV students in Sub-Saharan Africa. The scholarship fund forms part of Netflix’s global Netflix Creative Equity Fund launched in 2021 to be allocated to various initiatives over the next 5 years with the goal of developing a strong, diverse pipeline of creatives around the world.
The scholarship fund will cover the costs for tuition, accommodation, study materials and living expenses at institutions where beneficiaries have gained admission to pursue a course of study in the TV & film disciplines in the 2022 academic year.
The Netflix CESF is targeted for rollout across the region in the academic year commencing in 2022, starting with an open call for applications in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region, in partnership with social investment fund management and advisory firm Tshikululu Social Investments as implementing partner/fund administrator in Southern Africa. Fund administration partners for East Africa and the West and Central Africa regions will be announced in due course.
“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 additional information, application criteria, a list of partner higher education institutions (HEI) and will be able to apply online on our fund manager and advisory partner, Tshikululu’s website (tshikululu.org.za). 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.
About Tshikululu:
Established in 1998, Tshikululu is South Africa’s leading social investment fund manager and advisor, working alongside investors and other development partners to maximize the power of social investment. We define social investment as any financial commitment – from grant making to impact investing – that seeks to drive and measure social impact. Our service offering is underpinned by a deep and hands-on understanding of the complexities of development and social investment. As agents of social change, we partner with our clients throughout South Africa to realise their social investment goals. Over more than two decades, we have operated in every province in the country, covering urban and rural areas, and collaborated with social investors in various industries including mining, financial services, the creative economy, renewable energy, property development, banking, insurance, healthcare and logistics.
About Netflix:
Netflix is the world’s leading streaming entertainment service with over 214 million paid memberships in over 190 countries enjoying TV series, documentaries and feature films across a wide variety of genres and languages. Members can watch as much as they want, anytime, anywhere, on any internet-connected screen. Members can play, pause and resume watching, all without commercials or commitments.
