Minister of Tourism Dr Vera Kamtukule has appealed to local content creators to produce content capable of contributing to the growth of the country’s tourism sector.
The Minister made the appeal, saying time has come for every citizen to grow local content and sell it to the rest of the world for the betterment of the country.
Dr Kamtukule made the remarks Thursday evening in Lilongwe during the Universal Service Fund (USF) Local Digital Content Creators Showcase and Celebration Cocktail.
The function, was organised by Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA) in recognition achievements and impact of 13 content creators who received grants from the fund.
Addressing the gathering, Kamtukule called on people to embrace and support local digital content creators who are producing content in local languages.
“Time has come for Malawians to support local digital content, content which we know is depicting positive stories about Malawi because it is only through digital content producing that Malawi can penetrate the international market,” she said.
Kamtukule expressed worry over the influx of digital content creators who are producing content similar to content creators from other countries.
“For me, I can’t waste my time watching copycats. I mean why should I watch content produced by a Malawian which I know for a fact that it has been stolen from somewhere in the western world? It’s a waste of data,” said Kamtukule.
The minister then implored MACRA to speed up the process of putting in place measures that would allow local content creators to gain financial rewards for their digital content.
MACRA Director General, Daud Suleman commended local digital content creators for embracing digital technology.
During the function, which was held under the theme “Amplifying Malawi’s Digital Storytelling: Celebrating Local Creativity and Impact, five new content creators were awarded grants to produce content under Phase 3 of the Fund.
The five new creatives are Kuwala Creatives who have received K12.5 million, La 20 Innovations who have received K11 million, B2 Records who have received K13.9 million, Xtra Solutions who have received K15 million and Essim Shaibu who has received K10 million.
