Kwacha Creative Studios: a tribute to the unique and diverse stories of Malawi

Inspired by the success of the global film industry, the dynamic duo Chimwemwe Mkwezalamba and Rafik Seleman founded Kwacha Creative Studios four years ago in a bid to tackle Malawi’s high youth unemployment by harnessing the power of filmmaking. 

The film production and distribution company showcases the unique and diverse stories and brands of Malawi, producing feature films, TV series, documentaries and creative advertising campaigns.

“We noticed the gap in the market for high-production-value content coming from Malawi and wanted to fill that gap whilst providing positive impacts for our local communities,” says Seleman. “This is what inspired us to establish our company with a three-pronged approach: produce high-quality content, showcase our culture and local brands on a global scale and create jobs and trade opportunities”.

Within the growing African film and television industry, Kwacha Creative Studios specialises in production services, producing content for streaming channels, nature & wildlife organisations, corporate/philanthropic clients and other production houses. Among others, the studio produced feature films and a television series airing on DSTV and Showmax and was awarded Best Emerging Director award at the Silicon Valley African Film Festival for the short film “The Designer”. Kwacha Creative Studios also diversify their offering by providing equipment and crew hire services for international productions filming in Malawi.

For Mkwezalamba, filmmaking is more than just a profession – it’s a calling. She sees it as a powerful tool for communicating and igniting positive social and economic change, especially amongst the youth of Malawi. She believes that the cultural and creative industries are vital to the socio-economics of her country as they celebrate diversity, promote cultural exchange and drive tourism and employment in different ways compared to other sectors. 

Kwacha Creative Studios was announced as one of the dozen entrepreneurs chosen for Création Africa’s final incubation and immersion stage, a French investment to boost the cultural and creative industries in South Africa, Lesotho and Malawi. 

Mkwezalamba and Seleman’s vision for the studio is for it to achieve commercial success while simultaneously propelling Malawi’s economic growth and establishing the country’s cultural and creative industries as notable forces that are recognised globally. 

Their journey hasn’t been without hurdles, though. Limited access to industry-standard equipment, high production costs and difficulties with market penetration have all posed challenges. However, Mkwezalamba and Seleman remain focused on their vision of expanding the studio and sharing captivating Malawian content with a wider audience.

Reflecting on their journey thus far with the Création Africa programme, Mkwezalamba shares, “The Création Africa experience has been transformative, providing invaluable knowledge, encouragement and insights that have elevated our business. We’ve gained a deeper understanding of the cultural and creative industries, and have established a network of like-minded entrepreneurs.”