AGT to embrace the African dream

Chris Theko

Kealeboga Mogapi, the man behind the Africa’s Got Talent (AGT) talent search says the initiative is geared towards embracing Africa’s unique abilities.

It is through the AGT platform that value will be added to restore and reclaim the African continent’s talent in various careers.

In an interview with Newsday Arts this week, Mogapi indicated that the initiative set November this year, comes from the background of many other talent search projects across the world.

He said that in putting together the project, he had to do a lot of research into the successes and failures of similar projects globally.

“Our continent is unique and different from any other continent the world over. The African people are the most generous and humane people. It goes without saying that AGT must be aligned to the authentic principles of the African continent.

“It is for this reason that AGT will stand out from the rest of similar competitions and projects elsewhere in the world, depicting the differences and new inventions that you will immediately notice and experience when we launch our project,” Mogapi explained.

He explained that it has never made sense to him for a talent search competition to have one overall winner, and as such, he has decided to start AGT with 10 categories which will produce 10 winners as a start.

Mogapi believes talent is broad and as such, the number of categories will increase every season until all careers are covered and catered for.

“This simply means that each winner of each category will receive One Million AfriGold as the top prize. Winners will not be given cash immediately without a proper due diligence and financial skills training being provided.

“This will be done to ensure that winners do not misuse their winnings, but rather, they will be helped to put them to good use for their own benefit and to the benefit of their loved ones too,” he clarified.

The Chief Executive Officer of AGT revealed that as part of the terms and conditions for participating and winning an AGT competition, each category winner will be required to come up with a legacy project, which in partnership with AGT legacy, will be established in their respective locality.

“This is part of the AGT legacy project intended to bring about balanced developments in all settlements, especially in far-flung forgotten, poor and deep rural villages, farm areas, underdeveloped townships and small towns across the African continent.

“We are giving interested parties opportunities to enter, compete and stand a chance to win in 10 different talent categories of AGT.

“Each winner will be required to partner with the AGT Legacy in establishing and developing a legacy project in their local area. This AGT Legacy Project is mandatory to all AGT winners.

Winners will be resourced and assisted to put measures in place to ensure that their talents become sustained careers. This is not just a competition, but an African Sustainability Project,” Mogapi disclosed.

Meanwhile, representative of AGT in Lesotho, Matṧeliso Mohale, told this publication that participants are required to first register in order to participate on AGT Television Competition warning “no registration, no participation.”

Mohale mentioned that the competition is open to Africans across all 54 African countries and the Africans in the diaspora.

“The first season of this competition will be held in South Africa (Mogapi’s home country) after which from the second season, the hosting of AGT finals will rotate across Africa.

“Categories will be 10 in the first season and will increase as the competition grows and continues to be held in different African states,” Mohale said.

The categories are as follows:

Acting, arts and crafts, business innovation, comedy, culture, dance, fashion, music, spoken word and sports.