In the realm of wildlife documentaries, a quiet revolution is taking place in South Africa, driven by a determined couple, Pragna Parsotam-Kok and Noel Kok. Their journey began with a simple observation: the lack of African wildlife documentary makers and the challenges faced in accessing animals for filming. This realization sparked a mission to not only create more diverse wildlife content but also to empower local talent and foster a community of African wildlife filmmakers and scientists.
The Koks' response was the establishment of the Nature Environment and Wildlife Conservation Trust (NEWF). Their vision was to create a platform for African wildlife filmmakers and scientists, addressing the glaring absence of black African nature, environment, and wildlife filmmakers in the continent's narrative. This exclusion, as Noel Kok puts it, felt like a void in the stories being told, leaving them 'unauthentic' and 'incomplete'.
The first step was to address the skills gap. They organized a conference in 2017, but soon realized a deeper issue: the lack of African underwater filmmakers and the surprising fact that many marine biologists couldn't swim, let alone scuba dive. This led to the creation of NEWF's first dive 'lab' in 2019, training over 400 fellows from 37 African countries and 13 more in the global south.
The impact of this initiative is profound. More than 200 divers have been trained in Sodwana Bay, home to Africa's southernmost tropical coral reefs. Hundreds have also been trained in wildlife filmmaking on land at Bayala, a private game reserve. The Koks' commitment to diversity extends to music composition, too, with NEWF fellows creating scores that represent the region's culture, as seen in the National Geographic film about Botswana's Okavango Delta.
One of the most inspiring stories is that of Silindile Mbuyazi, a local diver who started learning to dive with a tourism company in 2018, defying community warnings about a seven-headed snake. She never found her brother, who drowned in Sodwana Bay, but discovered a whole new world, including a green turtle she recognized as her grandmother. Mbuyazi, now a certified diving instructor, has taught over 150 NEWF fellows to dive, and her grandmother's land now hosts eKhaya, a dive and filmmaking center.
eKhaya, meaning 'home' in Zulu, opened in November 2023 and has an editing suite, a 3.5-meter dive pool, and 12 rooms for fellows. It's a hub of activity, with local interns learning to swim and dive, and musicians rehearsing for performances. The Koks are also negotiating new National Geographic funding, with aspirations to buy a dive boat and build a six-person fellows' house in Bayala.
The impact of NEWF extends beyond the training and facilities. Ethiopian filmmaker Elshadye Berhanu, on a two-month residency, gained invaluable practical and creative experience, understanding the 'deep' aspects of the cheetahs' story. This is the essence of NEWF's mission: to empower local talent and create authentic, diverse wildlife content.
In my opinion, the Koks' work is a testament to the power of community and collaboration. By addressing the skills gap and fostering a supportive environment, they are not just changing how wildlife documentaries are made but also shaping a new narrative for Africa's wildlife. This is a story of hope, innovation, and the power of human connection, where the ocean becomes a metaphor for self-discovery and the land a stage for storytelling. It's a reminder that, in the grand scheme of things, we are all just trying to find our place in the world, and sometimes, it's the smallest actions that can have the biggest impact.
