Author name: admin

As part of Orientation Week, Head of School, Zenobia Simelane, took Media City Academy’s inaugural cohort on an excursion to the Human Rights Film Festival, introducing students to documentary storytelling within a real-world context at the very start of their academic journey. The inclusion of the festival reflects a considered approach to how students are introduced to their craft. It situates storytelling within a broader social and cultural context from the outset, encouraging engagement with work grounded in lived experience.

In the early stages of any institution’s growth, the partnerships it chooses to build begin to define its trajectory. They do more than extend reach. They signal intent, establish credibility and shape the kinds of opportunities that become available to the community that gathers around it.

Media City Academy’s Open Day in March was approached with a clear intention. To create an experience that offers insight into how learning takes place within the Academy, not as an abstract concept, but as a lived process. This approach shaped the structure of the day. Rather than positioning the Open Day as a series of presentations, the programme was designed to allow attendees to move through the environment and engage with different aspects of the work as they unfold in practice.

In March 2026, Media City Academy welcomed its inaugural cohort. The Class of 2026 arrives at a moment that carries both promise and responsibility. As the first intake, they will shape the tone, the culture and, in many ways, the identity of the institution as it finds its footing within the broader creative landscape.

Nothing beats experience in the creative industries. That belief sits at the heart of how our Film and Television Production NQF (5) Programme has been designed. With a 30% theory and 70% practical learning model, learners gain hands-on exposure on live sets and real productions, working alongside industry professionals while building real credits on their CVs.

Artificial Intelligence is already reshaping how film and content are written, developed, edited, and distributed. For today’s filmmakers, understanding AI is no longer optional. It is becoming a core creative skill.

As we begin a new year, we are reminded that January is not only about fresh starts but about perspective. It is a moment when outcomes meet ambition, and when young people and families are asked to reflect on what comes next.

At Media City Academy, students are encouraged to bring their creative visions to life. Our Enrollment Coordinator plays a key role in this journey, helping each student find the program that best matches their dreams and long-term goals. It’s about alignment, clarity, and giving every aspiring creative the support they need to move forward with confidence.

As the new academic year approaches, we at Media City Academy reflect on an enduring truth: education is not a destination but a journey of becoming. In South Africa, many learners start the year with ambition yet often find themselves constrained by rigid models of teaching. We believe in a more dynamic approach that recognises individuality, nurtures creativity and connects learning to real opportunities.