BUAtv:
LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION
With YouTube being one of the fastest-growing social media platforms in South Africa, the NWU has decided to capitalise on its popularity by launching BUAtv. Eish! asked Clement Manoko, executive director for corporate relations and marketing, to tell us more about this venture.
Clement Manoko
Q: First of all, what does the word “bua” mean?
A: Bua is the Setswana word for “talk” or “talking”.
Q: What are you talking about and with whom?
A: We interview a wide variety of staff members and students across the university in our effort to celebrate and showcase all the ground-breaking activities and achievements of the institution. With the tag phrase, “Be Involved, Be Informed, Be Innovative”, BUAtv promises to reveal nothing but the best of the NWU.
Q: Who are the members of your target audience?
A: They include current students and their parents, prospective students, staff and alumni. We also focus on other stakeholders of the university, such as the NWU Council and the Board of Donors.
Our website users are also part of our target audience. Each new episode is featured for a while on the NWU’s landing page under the heading, “In the spotlight”. Earlier episodes can be found if you first click on “News and Media” (in the top navigation bar on the landing page) and then on “Publications and Videos”.
Q: How many episodes have you already produced?
A: There have been three episodes so far. The first episode premiered on 25 August, the second was broadcast on 15 September and the third on 27 October. These episodes boast the institution’s most recent successes in the fields of sports, academia, research, cultural activities and community engagement.
Q: Who are your presenters?
A: Forensic accountancy lecturer Constant van Graan and second-year communication studies student Ntsoaki Mokete are the two main anchors. In addition, there are seven field reporters across the NWU who bring news to our stakeholders. All of the field reporters are students. This makes BUAtv a truly student-driven brand positioning platform.
Q: It must be a huge undertaking. Who are working behind the scenes?
A: Maryke Laas from Corporate Communication is the videographer, while Peter Pentz is the production manager and Bertie Jacobs the script writer.
Q: What response has BUAtv received so far?
A: We have received a lot of feedback, including recommendations, since airing the first episode and will definitely take these comments into consideration when producing future episodes.