WINDHOEK — Roger Gertze, Managing Director of MultiChoice Namibia, has issued a warning against content piracy, outlining its detrimental effects on various aspects of society including the economic health and growth of the local content business.

According to a new release by the Namibian Press Agency, the cautionary message was delivered during a gathering on Thursday in Windhoek. The event was attended by journalists and creatives and aimed to discuss the state of piracy in Namibia and Africa, focusing on how the collective industry can combat this issue from content creation to broadcasting.

“When defining the streams required to partner against piracy, it is critical to consider the impact that piracy has on stunting the growth of the local creative industry,” said Gertze. He added that efforts to counter piracy could significantly alter the future of the industry, especially given MultiChoice Namibia’s recent initiatives to invest more in native Namibian content.

The gathering also featured a virtual presentation by Edward Mnisi, Southern Africa Piracy Manager of Irdeto. Mnisi highlighted growing trends in piracy observed across the African continent and explained what both the industry and the general public need to understand about the risks involved. One such concern he underscored was that cross-border piracy is a growing issue in Namibia.

Mnisi stated, “For us as a business, we hope that sessions like these will strengthen our united fight against content piracy in Namibia and provide an opportunity for us to work closely with like-minded institutions to ensure that our local content industry no longer faces the obstacles it currently confronts to the benefit of all.”