ConnectUP is an initiative of Connect to create opportunities for new entrants. It is a type of grassroots academy to meet and address certain education, development, operational, outreach and user needs that we have identified, as well as an opportunity to leverage off ‘user-generated content’. Connect&more partners, commissions, curates and produces short format, hyper-local content that can be broadcast using social media or proprietary platforms direct to mobile phones or over wifi networks. We have also designed and conceptualized an enterprise model to fund new entrants, and support and sustain a community based operating environment comprising Cafés and Kiosks.
TEAM
Kopano Gelman, Vuyo Sokupa and Petronella Tasara are executive producers of Connect TV productions and share their insight and experience with the dynamic, vibrant, young Connect Up team.
Siya has been a content producer, script supervisor, head of research and producer for various television productions, responsible sound content development and execution. She has managed production schedules & budgets ensuring timely delivery of material as well as keeping the project cost effective. Siya hold a Bachelors Degree in Journalism and Media Studies and a postgraduate degree in Media Management both from Rhodes University.
Lucky is a self-taught graphic, motion and animation designer as well as brand and website developer. WiFi TV elevates his creativity and has taught him an adherence to responsibilities and deadlines.
Lerato is currently completing his Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of Witwatersrand and is employed as WiFi TV an editor and a co-host of Young Voices.
Thabiso is a photographer, videographer. He took photos for most of his high school life and then ventured into videography too. He consequently went to study Film and Photography and graduated prior to working with the coolest team at WiFi TV.
Chantal is currently studying a Diploma in Media Studies at Boston Media Campus. As a Production Secretary, she is tasked with the pre-production of WiFi TV's various programmes and also appears on WiFi TV as a co-host of 'Young Voices.’
Connect supports the Project Isizwe model of using WIFI and the internet to drive social change, enable economic development and improve the quality of peoples’ lives. We agree that every South African citizen should have the right to access good quality, affordable Internet, and that access should not be determined by the socio-economic conditions of the individual, but be based on the principles of social inclusion, equity and fairness. We concur that an important intervention to overcome inequality could be the provision of publicly-funded WiFi throughout public spaces in low-income communities, ideally available in public buildings and within reasonable walking distance of all citizens.
