British born actor of Ghanaian and Sierraleonian descent, Idris Elba has announced an ambitious plan to build film studios across Africa, starting with a flagship project in Zanzibar, Tanzania.
According to CNN, Elba’s vision aims to tap into Africa’s vast creative potential, addressing the continent’s underrepresentation in the global entertainment industry.
Idris Elba who for some quite a lengthy period of time has shown vast interest in Africa has shown he is ready to invest in the film sector across Africa.
Elba’s project, inspired by a meeting with Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan at the World Economic Forum in Davos, seeks to create a global entertainment hub in Zanzibar. The Zanzibar government has allocated nearly 200 acres for the studio.
British born actor with Ghanaian ancestry, Idris Elba
“Africa’s creative sector is vastly underrepresented globally,” Elba stated. “It’s time for Africans to tell their own stories” he indicated.
A UNESCO report estimates that Africa’s film and audiovisual industry could create 20 million jobs and add $20 billion to the continent’s GDP by 2030.
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Global players like Netflix and Disney have already invested in Kenya, South Africa, and Nigeria.
Elba acknowledged the lack of regulation, investment, and banking infrastructure as major hurdles.
To address payment issues, he has partnered with Stellar to introduce Akuna Wallet, a digital wallet for creatives.
In all his effort to kick start a major film project in Africa, Elba has also targeted Ghana with a Pilot Program in the pipeline.
Idris Elba interested in the movie industry in Africa.
A pilot program launched in partnership with the Ghanaian government aims to streamline payments for local creatives, promoting financial inclusion.
Elba expressed optimism about the project’s potential. “If local governments recognize the entertainment economy’s value, they’ll enable it to grow. It will grow, and it can grow.”
Speaking at the recently held African Cinema Summit in Accra Ghana, Elba indicated his pleasure and desire for the industry on the African soil to grow beyond the reliance on some streaming services like Amazon, Netflix among many others.
“The lifespan of African cinema is endless. We need to talk about distribution, we need to talk about how to grow the industry. For instance, filmmaking in Ghana is growing and we have seen fantastic stories and creative talents, not to mention the fantastic wealth of tourism.
