The streaming service that brought you favourites like Squid Game, Stranger Things and Cobra Kai, Netflix, has pledged $1 million towards a scholarship fund in South Africa. The newly established Creative Equity Scholarship Fund (CESF) will support film and TV students in Sub-Saharan Africa in their education.
This serves a dual purpose: train more film and TV industry professionals to contribute to Netflix’s cause of delivering more localised content. And help empower young creatives in the region – something that’s always welcome. Unless you’re Afriforum.
Read more: Afriforum is “disgruntled” with Netflix’s local Black Creatives fund
It’ll cover students’ costs of tuition, accommodation, study materials and even living expenses. That’s for beneficiaries that have been accepted into any of the partner institutions for a TV or film qualification in the 2022 academic year.
“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.
How to be considered for Netflix’s cash dollars
You’ll have to be from one of the eligible countries (we’ll drop a full list below) and be accepted into one of the participating higher institutions (also at the bottom of this article).
Next, you’ll need to apply for a scholarship via this form. Applications are now open, until 4 February 2022.
- Students from 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.
- Partner institutions include: 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).