Africa's first linear online TV station launches in Namibia

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The production of online television programmes at the coast is hoping to develop into a point of pride for Namibia's TV and film industry. Youth at the coast are being trained at grassroots level to become actors and new jobs and careers are being created for them in the entertainment industry.

The company behind this development, Veesion TV and its film production arm, Veesion Films, has been working hard behind the scenes to set-up the first linear online TV station in Africa. Veesion TV and Veesion Films produce only cause-related content both for its online platform and for other broadcaster's across Africa and North America.

Veesion TV has offices in Canada, Nigeria and Namibia. In Namibia, its primary office is in Walvis Bay. This is because most of the content the company is producing in Namibia is been filmed at the coast.

According to the company's CEO, Michael Uraih, "the future of television is online. The way in which content is consumed has changed and that change is headed online. Our main focus at the moment is creating local content both for our online platform and for other broadcasters across Africa and North America," said Uraih. He also added that "the aim of the Veesion brand is to not only to produce high quality television content and films in Namibia for a global audience, but also to sculpt the immense creative talent present in the country. The third aim is to give Namibian young men and women a global platform to showcase what Namibia has to offer."

Veesion TV and Veesion Films are currently wrapping up production on a fully locally produced TV drama series titled 'Torn'. In keeping with the company's focus on producing cause-related content, each episode deals with a burning social issue like baby dumping, passion killing, rampant alcoholism, etc.

By the time production is complete, the series would have used over 60 young Namibian actors. These are young Namibian men and women in Walvis Bay and Swakopmund who have no previous acting experience.

"To have been part of the series is a once in a lifetime opportunity. The quality of this production is not even something that you'd think was local or something that can be done in Namibia. The series is socially relevant because it's a portrayal of daily experiences that we go through in Namibia," said Ridow-Ann English who plays Merriam, one of the main characters in 'Torn'.

Uraih explained that linear TV means "we run scheduled programmes. We are just like any TV station in that respect. The only difference is we stream our content online to a global audience. We have a daily schedule and people can view whatever programmes they want to at the times listed. The technology that powers our online platform is state-of-the-art and the stream quality is amazing. "

Uraih further hinted that the company's next project will be a full length film that will be shot in Namibia, Canada and Nigeria. Production is expected to commence in December 2015.