Malawi Has Talent Season 1 targets 100
By Sam Banda Jnr & Serah Chilora:
Times Group, through Times Television, has said it will make a call for participants where 100 shall be selected in Malawi Has Talent Season 1.
The development comes barely four days after Times Television launched Malawi Has Talent in partnership with First Capital Bank (FCB) at Times Entertainment Studios in Blantyre.
Times Group Chief Commercial Manager Ralph Chirwa said, ahead of the selection, they will also unveil judges during the official launch of Malawi Has Talent Season 1 whose dates will be announced soon.
“Firstly, we will call for participants to express interest, 100 participants (individual or groups) will be selected; after this, we shall go into elimination shows at regional level. Thirty groups will be selected through voting by the public and, at this point, judges will only give feedback during performances,” Chirwa said.
He further said that 10 will make it to the grand finale where the top three will be selected.
Times Group General Manager Veronica Masikini said during the launch that the show will help unearth talent in the country.
“Malawi has talent. The challenge we have as a nation is that we educate our children and expect them to go into formal employment. What we are trying to do is look at other people who can create something by what they have, apart from just getting formal employment,” Masikini said.
FCB Head of Marketing and Communication Twikale Chirwa said they were delighted to partner Times Group in the activity.
“At First Capital Bank, belief comes first and we believe Malawi has talent. We are a bank for all Malawians and our objective is to uplift the socio-economic fabric of Malawi.
“We would like Malawians to benefit as this could be an alternative or direct way of using talent for consumption by the private sector, non-governmental organisations, government and the general public,” Chirwa said.
He said they have pumped K40 million into sponsorship and K20 million in activation.
“This is the first of three seasons and both participants and viewers stand a chance to win cash, branded regalia and free tickets We have sponsored three seasons at K40 million each season; K120 million for three years,” he said.
The show, expected to run from February to July this year, will see the winner walking away with K5 million, with second and third-place winners receiving K2 million and K1 million, respectively.
This is not the first time Times Television is running a talent show as the past years has also seen it spearheading a dance competition known as Ka Jive.
