from DION HENRICK in Cape Town
Western Cape Bureau
CAPE TOWN, (CAJ News) – NEW ZEALAND technology company, Kiwa Digital, has implemented its first cloud-based software for the first time in Africa.
The company has introduced VoiceQ Cloud, which it hails as providing a solution that enables remote collaboration and seamless workflows in the cloud.
The first company to use this technology is Amafu, an indigenous broadcast media and dubbing studio technology company based in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Amafu – translates to “clouds” in some indigenous languages – is described as rapidly establishing itself as a thought leader and industry disruptor, with a strong emphasis on cloud-based technologies and innovation.
The innovations draw on the VoiceQ team’s deep cultural and technology capability and include artificial intelligence, better accessibility, real-time reporting, multi-language support and free access to VoiceQ Actor.
The announcement by Kiwa Digital came ahead of the ongoing FAME Week Africa – a cultural event – in Cape Town, where the company is showcasing VoiceQ Cloud. The event, which opened on Sunday, runs until Saturday.
“At Amafu, we are redefining the standards of the media industry through our commitment to innovation and quality,” said Afika Soyamba, Amafu, chief technology officer.
“Our unique approach to dubbing and media localization, combined with our cutting-edge technology, allows us to deliver content that resonates with diverse audiences across Africa,” Soyamba said.
VoiceQ reports that it is localising African stories in centres as diverse as Johannesburg, Cape Town, Dakar (Senegal), Dodoma (Tanzania), Tangier (Morocco) and Paris (France).
It says the latest innovations respond to the African market’s demand for cultural authenticity, high production values, innovative storytelling and relevance.
Steven Renata, Kiwa Digital’s managing director, said it was time African stories reached wider audiences through localisation technology, which he said would play a big part in ensuring that.
Localisation, he said, would break the world’s language barriers, bridge cultural divides, amplify indigenous narratives and inspire national and global audiences.
“At VoiceQ, we aspire to contribute to a narrative shift about Africa, both within the continent and through its depiction globally,” Renata said.
– CAJ News