Three years ago writer/director Akin Omotoso set out to make a film about the politics swirling around a university campus channelled through the medium of radio. With a budget of R60 000, a call time between 7pm and 4am and a diverse mix of radio, TV and theatre personalities, Omotoso pulled off the impossible in making God Is African. But shooting the film was only the beginning of a long and arduous journey. No one wanted anything to do with the film. Omotoso eventually went knocking on TranxAfrica Media’s door. Seeing the commercial and cultural potential of God Is African, the company came on board as financial partner and lent its infrastructure and industry know-how to ensure the film got its rightful theatrical release. Founded in December 2000 after extensive research, TranxAfrica Media Holdings aimed to become a producer of Afrocentric media content primarily to sub-Saharan Africa and secondarily to export markets. Today it is a leader in providing high quality, locally produced content through a variety of media platforms. I met with TranxAfrica Media’s managing director, Busi Ntuli, to talk about the company’s role in bringing God Is African to the silver screen. God Is African seems to have echoes, particularly through the radio narrative in the film, of what the company is trying to achieve. Yes. All our subsidiaries are interrelated. There is synergy between all of our media platforms. For instance, God Is African falls under film and television, but the soundtrack was handled by TranxAfrica Music. TranxAfrica Media has eight products and each product could really end up as a film or on the Internet or any of the other affiliates. Which African countries do you go out to as a producer of African-centric media content?We are in Lesotho, Namibia, Zambia, Tanzania, Malawi and Nigeria. How, as a media company, have you managed to create synergy between all these territories?Our plan has always been to create content for Africans and those interested in Africa. However, the difference between ourselves and the likes of CNN and BBC is that we are African, so there is no bias to the Western world. How did you get involved with God Is African initially?Our plan is to create a platform for young African filmmakers who come knocking on our door. We want to be able to support them as long as their stories are uplifting and celebrate the African experience. Akin Omotoso came knocking on our door. He had come to a certain point after shooting the film for next to nothing. However, there were a lot of technical problems with God Is African and we came in financially to repair those problems and lobby other organisations such as the National Film and Video Foundation and Ster-Kinekor. We came in to ensure that God Is African got showcased in South African cinemas and had commercial value. What is it about God Is African that initially appealed to you?I think the fact that it doesn’t tell a South African story but an African story. Anybody who has lived in Africa or who is African can relate. It was just amazing on the night of the premiere how different people from all walks of life found something in the film that they could relate to. One of the main themes for me in God Is African is identity or loss of identity and finding a way to get back to your cultural roots. Absolutely. The film shows how some Africans are no longer proud of where they come from, whether it be from Kenya or Nigeria or wherever. They’re of the [opinion] that they’re better off being South African or American, when it shouldn’t have to be that way. So it’s really about getting back to your roots and embracing them. The casting is great; there is a diverse mix of personalities who got together for the film. What was achieved with God Is African is really revolutionary when you consider all the actors, DJs, television celebrities and musicians who came together to realise this dream. We need to create a star system in this country where our talent are crowd-pullers, and I think God Is African is the first significant step in that direction. How can you build on the success you’ve had with God Is African?Well, the next time we knock on Ster-Kinekor’s door it’s not going to be opened by the receptionist.