NICE, MEC equip entertainment artists to create soap operas that educate, entertain and inspire people on election information

MEC Commissioner Francis Kasaira inspiring the artists

* Artists have a vast audience reach, making them effective tools for disseminating crucial information and promoting behavioral change

* Investing in creative talent allows them to produce soap operas that reflect the country’s unique cultural identity and addressing pressing social issues

By Andrew Mwanandiye Tembo

Ahead of the 2025 general elections, National Initiative for Civic Education (NICE) in collaboration with the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) hosted a soap opera training program to equip entertainment artists to create soap operas that educate, entertain and inspire people on election information.

Held at Crossroads Hotel in Blantyre on Thursday and Friday, August 8-9, the program covered soap opera production fundamentals — including scriptwriting, character development, storytelling techniques and production planning.

The participants were engaged in interactive sessions, group discussions, and hands-on exercises — fostering a collaborative learning environment.

In his remarks, MEC Commissioner, Francis Kasaira emphasised that “artists have a vast audience reach, making them effective tools for disseminating crucial information and promoting behavioral change”.

“We encouraged them to consider people’s rights and follow election laws in their artistic work,” he said, while NICE Board chairperson, Lingalireni Mihowa stressed that investing in creative talent allows them to produce soap operas that reflect the country’s unique cultural identity and addressing pressing social issues.

“The initiative marks a significant step towards elevating the local entertainment industry and harnessing soap operas’ power for social impact, especially ahead of the tripartite elections,” Mihowa said.

Participant Rosemary Malipa from Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) — involved in ‘Pamajiga’, ‘Nzeru Nkupangwa’ and ‘Sewelo la Sabata Ino’, praised the initiative, saying she was pleased to be part of this trust by NICE and MEC as the  initiative encourages them to create impactful content.

She further said the training program demonstrated NICE and MEC’s commitment to engaging the entertainment industry in promoting election information and social change.