Mary Njoku made a name for herself as a noted Nollywood actress, however, the high-flying star is quickly becoming a formidable force in running her own TV channel. For the past six years, Njoku has been telling authentic African stories on the continent and in the UK.
ROK TV is currently touring the continent, keeping in touch with the fans of their shows and movies with visits to Johannesburg and Cape Town. With three of the ROK TV channels based in the UK and SA, Njoku shares that they have been able to increase production output. With the large crop of original movies and series, there is often a lot of pressure to keep viewers tuned in.
“The pressure is real, that’s why we are out here talking to fans in South Africa to better understand their tastes when it comes to Nollywood,” says Njoku, who admits that the high expectations to excel have created a strong team producing excellent content.
“Your employees are your ambassadors so at ROK we believe in treating our staff fairly, offering them competitive benefits, paying them on time, and giving them rewards when necessary. We have really focused hard on combining creativity with commercial aptitude and savviness - and I believe we have managed, so far, to achieve this.”
With ROK TV’s growth looking brighter six years after entering the world of televised storytelling, here are five pointers Njoku suggests can help future storytellers tell authentic stories.
1. Get trained
2. Get a mentor
3. Be consistent
4. Be authentic
5. Take an interest in the world around you - it is here that you will get your inspiration for characters, story ideas and more.
The ROKME tour will be rapping up its South African leg on Sunday. The tour will be heading to Zambia as well.
Decorated Nollywood actress inspires with her own successful TV channel
Mary Njoku made a name for herself as a noted Nollywood actress, however, the high-flying star is quickly becoming a formidable force in running her own TV channel. For the past six years, Njoku has been telling authentic African stories on the continent and in the UK.
ROK TV is currently touring the continent, keeping in touch with the fans of their shows and movies with visits to Johannesburg and Cape Town. With three of the ROK TV channels based in the UK and SA, Njoku shares that they have been able to increase production output. With the large crop of original movies and series, there is often a lot of pressure to keep viewers tuned in.
“The pressure is real, that’s why we are out here talking to fans in South Africa to better understand their tastes when it comes to Nollywood,” says Njoku, who admits that the high expectations to excel have created a strong team producing excellent content.
“Your employees are your ambassadors so at ROK we believe in treating our staff fairly, offering them competitive benefits, paying them on time, and giving them rewards when necessary. We have really focused hard on combining creativity with commercial aptitude and savviness - and I believe we have managed, so far, to achieve this.”
With ROK TV’s growth looking brighter six years after entering the world of televised storytelling, here are five pointers Njoku suggests can help future storytellers tell authentic stories.
1. Get trained
2. Get a mentor
3. Be consistent
4. Be authentic
5. Take an interest in the world around you - it is here that you will get your inspiration for characters, story ideas and more.
The ROKME tour will be rapping up its South African leg on Sunday. The tour will be heading to Zambia as well.
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