Tanzania’s presidential aide has announced that award-winning British actor Idris Elba is interested in establishing a film studio in the East African country. According to the BBC, this comes after preliminary talks between Elba and President Samia Suluhu Hassan.
The actor from The Harder They Fall and President Hassan met in January at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. “The president met with Idris Elba and his wife Sabrina, who are interested in investing in a Tanzanian film studio,” the president said. The talks are in their early stages, but if all goes well, the studio will benefit not only Tanzania, but also East and Central Africa, according to Zuhura Yunus, the director of presidential communications.
President Hassan took office following the death of her predecessor, John Magufuli. According to reports, she has since spearheaded a number of initiatives in foreign policy, business, trade, and investment. If the 50-year-old actor’s project is successful, he will join other A-list celebrities who have made investments in Africa.
Michael Blackson, a Ghanaian-American comedian and actor, opened his free school in his village of Agona Nsaba during the holiday season. Traditional leaders, diasporan guests, and other dignitaries attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony on January 3.
Blackson, who said the project had always been a dream of his, took to Twitter to share a video of the colorful ceremony. “Today is the best day of my life because I’ve finally done what I’ve always wanted to do: give these kids a chance to be great,” the 50-year-old said. “Greatness begins with education, and basic education should not be financially prohibitive.”
As previously reported, when Blackson returned home in 2020, he cut sod for the school project.