By OBAKENG MAJE

A local philanthropist, Kagiso Kai who is a brainchild behind Taung Community TV, said television has proved to be a profound means of communication and potentially capable of leaving a tremendous effect on society.

Kai said the aim behind this initiative is to ensure that content of the iconic Taung is well-documented and future generations learn more about it.

“Taung has a lot of content that many people from afar are tapping into and making money out of it. Again, one has realised that, we rely too much on leaders who are not magicians to bring miracles to the challenges that our people face.

“I normally say to people that we are the solutions to the problems we are facing, not political parties. Now it is time for the people of Taung to go to the next level and establish a TV station to cater for creatives and producers in the filming and television industry,” he said.

Kai further said the platform will give independent producers, presenters and all other aspirant practitioners to come up with their own productions and TV shows that will be aired at the channel. He encourages people of Taung to use the station to tell their ordinary stories through reality shows, films, documentaries and educational programs.

“The aim is to assemble an arsenal of great individuals in Taung to shake up the industry with their innovative thinking and leadership. We want to tap into funding opportunities within our country and abroad to create a sustainable livelihood for those who are in the industry.

“Many people think that filming and television is something that can only happen in the big cities, but we need to change that narrative. The Taung Community TV is owned by the people of Taung,” said Kai.

He said this initiative will also create job opportunities, especially for the youth. According to Kai, many people are supporting this idea, including the Greater Taung Local Municipality (GTLM).

“Also those who are already in the industry have shown a keen interest, and that is really encouraging. We embarked on a bench-marking trip to Cape Town TV and we have an idea on how to go about it. I would like to send my special thanks to Mr Thapelo Moncho for organizing the trip including the unwavering support we received from the municipality.  

He said there are various shows that are in place already such as If you can’t talk about it, post it. Kai said the show will tackle topics that some people are not able to talk about due to lack of support or understanding.

“We also have programs like Nthute Segarona, which focuses on our culture. We have realised that our parents are dying without imparting that knowledge to the young generation. We would be having news programs too and focus on Mathematics, Economics, Accounting and other subjects that we feel there is a need to tackle.

“Taung Community TV will air documentaries, films and reality shows like O Gata Kae. This is a show that aims to keep track of the progress made by many people or the government. 

“There is another show called Youth in Tradition and we encourage our people to send their show proposals too. We will air those shows via over the top and YouTube platforms. For us to go on air, it will depend on ICASA to approve our license,” he said.

However, Kai said there are various platforms they will utilize for so long waiting for ICASA. He said they only started in January 2022 and ICASA wants NPO to be operational for more than two years.

taungdailynews@gmail.com