Government has packaged a television programme to empower, inform and educate citizens regarding initiatives that can improve their lives by profiling its programmes.
“We are giving voices to communities. We are sharing our content with the broader communities in this country. We are giving ordinary citizens an opportunity to talk about their daily experiences,” Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) Chief Director: Communication Service Agency, Neli Shuping, said in Pretoria on Thursday.
Shuping was addressing a special screening for a 13-episode Advertiser Funded Programme (AFP) called Citizens Connect, which will be flighted on SABC 2 starting on Thursday, 18 January 2024 at 20:30.
Repeats will be played on Fridays from 12:00 – 12:30 and it will be available on the SABC Plus streaming platform.
The Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) said the collaboration with SABC 2 was testament to government’s commitment to reaching a diverse audience and delivering impactful content.
“This is a massive milestone for the GCIS and it is a significant project that will be flighted on one of the biggest platforms, which is the SABC. The latest research on television advertisements shows that the engagement on ads from viewers has decreased, so having a programme like this is monumental as it provides an opportunity to communicate government messages,” Shuping said.
Citizens Connect is a social reality programme featuring government content, re-enactments and discussions on matters relating to gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF), anti-corruption and the Economic Recovery and Reconstruction Plan (ERRP).
The programme is aimed at encouraging active citizenry, inspiring change while informing and profiling government programmes. The choice of SABC 2 as a channel was informed by government’s efforts to engage and inform the public through a platform that has a wide audience and reaches many households across South Africa.
“We call on all South Africans across all spheres of life to follow and tune into SABC 2 from Thursday, 18 January – 22 March 2024 at 20:30, to follow and engage on the 13 episodes of Citizens Connect, which will significantly touch on various interventions and experiences of citizens with government on issues that are essential to their lives. Through storytelling and engaging content, we aspire to inspire a collective shift towards an informed and engaged society,” said Acting Director General of GCIS, Nomonde Mnukwa.
One of the episodes focuses on entrepreneurship and the government programmes that are intended to assist business owners with funding and business development.
The episode features two entrepreneurs who share their journeys in business and how they have navigated challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing load shedding.
Communications Manager for the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA), Lwazilwaphesheya Khoza, informed viewers about the Voucher Programme, which range from R6 600 to R19 800. The voucher is used to purchase business support services from approved service providers.
She suggested that entrepreneurs could use the vouchers to buy inverters or generators to help keep the lights on during load shedding.
There is no contribution fee required for young entrepreneurs to participate in the Voucher Programme. Each registered entity is entitled to a maximum of two vouchers as per business development phase.
Minister of Small Business Development Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams, who was interviewed at the special screening, shared information about government programmes aimed at assisting entrepreneurs. – SAnews.gov.za
