English actor Idris Elba wants to help grow Africa’s film industry, and is set to embark on several projects on the continent.
He aims to establish film studios across Africa, starting in Zanzibar, the Tanzanian archipelago famous for its sandy beaches, per CNN Entertainment.
“The idea took root last year when Elba met Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan at the World Economic Forum in Davos. Their discussions led to plans for the first studio in Zanzibar — a move Elba believes could be the first building block of a global entertainment hub.”
The report notes that the Tanzanian government offered the actor 200 acres of land from which to begin development of his idea.
Zanzibar’s Minister for Economy Shariff Ali Shariff said: “Idris Elba will be building a modern studio similar to Hollywood, Nollywood (in Nigeria), or Bollywood.”
Elba told the website that he feels African imagery is underrepresented, with media centering around negative depictions of the continent.
“The median age in Africa is 19; these young people are optimistic and deserve the chance to tell their own stories,” he said.
BBC notes that the British actor, who has roots in Sierra Leone and Ghana, has previously voiced his ambitions to develop Africa’s expanding film industry.
“Last year, the 51-year-old Golden Globes winner also spoke of his plans to build a film studio in Ghana.”
Elba said: “Currently, we call it West African Studios, but that’s a working title. We’ve been working on this for three or four years to raise a plan that puts a facility at the center of African filmmaking.”
CNN’s report notes that Elba’s timing is great, with recent data from UNESCO showing that Africa’s film and audiovisual industry could create 20 million jobs and add $20 billion (over Sh 2.5 trillion) to the continent’s GDP by 2030.
“There is also significant money to be made. Though Africa comprises 18 per cent of the world’s population, it accounts for only 1 per cent of the global creative economy — a sector that Goldman Sachs expects to double in the next five years…Global players like Netflix and Disney have already made sizable investments in Kenya, South Africa and Nigeria.”
