Airtel Africa, a leading provider of telecommunications and mobile money services with a presence in 14 countries across Africa, announced that the highly anticipated show, The Voice Africa, will debut on 26th March 2023.
Airtel Africa, as the title sponsors, has partnered with FAME Studios Africa to broadcast the show on free to air TV stations across its markets and Airtel TV.
The Voice Africa received 78,804 registrations from Nigeria, Kenya, Seychelles, Tchad, Uganda, Congo, Zambia, Tanzania, Rwanda, Gabon, Madagascar, Malawi, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
12,308 talents were then selected for auditions and a total of 100, seven per country in addition to two wild cards, were chosen to proceed to the live shows in Lagos, Nigeria.
The Voice Africa will follow the format of the global show, starting out with blind auditions, battle rounds, knockouts, playoffs and conclude with the live shows.
The show will run for 25 weeks, airing one show per week, with the first shows running the blind auditions based solely on the talents’ voices and not looks.
The Voice Africa is expected to attract both a pan-African and global audience, featuring a high-profile panel of coaches and TV hosts who will witness one of the 100 selected talents eventually crowned The Voice Africa.
While addressing the media at Airtel Offices, David Birungi the PR Manager at Airtel Uganda revealed, “Over 5,000 applications were received when we made a call for submission and we were overwhelmed and impressed by the talent we have in Uganda. Hence, I urge all of you to vote for our representatives who I believe have great potential of emerging winners in this competition.”
Noella Byuma the Head of Brand and Communication at Airtel Uganda noted, “The 7 Uganda’s who are representing us received their USD $ 5,000 and I can confirm that they are in Nigeria. The grand winner will be rewarded with USD $100,000 prize package and a recording contract with Universal Studios – the leading music producers in the world.”
She added, “On Sunday 26th March 2023 we will host a viewing party at Nexus Lounge in Najjera and the episodes will be featured on Airtel TV, and I encourage Ugandans to download the app so that they can watch and support our representatives and as well watch the shows on NTV at 8pm and repeats on Spark TV on Monday at 3:00pm.”
Anthony Shiner, Group Chief Commercial Officer, Airtel Africa said: “We are thrilled to finally bring Africa’s exceptional musical talents to the world through the continent’s version of the global award-winning show, The Voice. The Voice Africa will display African musical talent, delivering excitement and entertainment to millions across the world, whilst showcasing amazing voices, performances, and intrigues. It is an opportunity to celebrate and contribute to Africa’s musical scene through real life stories of resilience, persistence, struggle, and success that some of you can relate to and will undoubtedly impact your lives.”
Airtel Africa believes in enabling the youthful talent on the continent and has continuously supported the notion that Africa’s youth are future leaders, not only on the continent but worldwide.
To show commitment and the organization’s support, Airtel Africa has invested in various initiatives that aim to promote youthful talents and expertise in education, sports, and the innovation sectors.
In 2021, Airtel Africa announced a groundbreaking $57m investment in education in partnership with UNICEF that aims to provide and increase access to digital education for the betterment of Africa’s children’s futures.
Other initiatives Airtel Africa has been involved in over the years include the MTV Africa Music Awards (MAMAs), the Zain Africa Challenge, which brought university students together in a quiz contest, and the Airtel Rising Stars, a football tournament for Under-15 boys and girls.
