Transforming Media Dubbing in South Africa

Transforming Media Dubbing in South Africa

We recently caught up with Afika Soyamba, CTO of AMAFU, in South Africa, to get his thought leadership on the future of work and technology in the African audio post-localization sector. Afika comments on what it takes to start up, meet and sustain the needs of the country’s rich linguistic diversity. 

Can you share when Amafu was established and what the inspiration was?

Amafu was established in November 2018 as a startup specialising in Broadcast Systems Integration. In October 2023, the company expanded its operations to include a dubbing studio based in Johannesburg, South Africa (SA). Though modest in scale compared to global markets, the SA dubbing sector is experiencing notable growth driven by the rising demand for localised content. This expansion is fueled by the country's rich linguistic diversity and the increasing need to cater to various language-speaking populations within South Africa and across the African continent.

SA’s dubbing industry primarily focuses on adapting television series, films, and digital streaming content for local and regional audiences. Platforms such as Showmax, DSTV, eMedia, Netflix, and Amazon Prime Video are key contributors to the sector's expansion, with specialised dubbing studios managing the entire localisation process—from script adaptation to voice recording and post-production. The core languages are isiZulu, English and Afrikaans. Some studios also offer Amharic, French, Portuguese, Swahili, Yoruba, and Oromo, extending their reach across Africa.

Can you share key challenges for the South African dubbing industry?

We face several challenges, including managing linguistic diversity, which requires tailored approaches for different languages and cultures. There's also a need for more skilled professionals, particularly in voice acting, directing,  sound engineering and Translation, which affects the quality of dubbing projects. The small market size leads to budget constraints, limiting investment in advanced technology and talent acquisition. Maintaining cultural and linguistic sensitivity while translating content accurately is complex and requires expertise. Access to cutting-edge dubbing technology and infrastructure is also limited, particularly for smaller studios.

Amafu embarked on a transformative journey to enhance its workflow and operational efficiency.  As a new player in the competitive dubbing industry, we were able to develop our workflows without the constraints of legacy systems.  This allowed us to approach our processes with fresh perspectives, ensuring our solutions matched the current market needs, the capability of local talent, and the scope to create something to benefit the wider industry. 

Focusing on delivering high-quality localised content across multiple languages, we then embarked on a journey to identify digital tools that would provide capability, capacity and scalability. 

What type of technology stacks have you invested in and why? ‍

At Amafu, we have a robust technology stack that includes VoiceQ Studio, AVID Pro Tools, and EdiCue. This stack is complemented by the Microsoft 365 suite, which we leverage for collaboration and project management across OneDrive, SharePoint, Microsoft Lists, and Teams. We also use a lot of Python Scripts for automation and AI. Our commitment to continuous improvement drives us to explore and adapt innovative technologies that enhance our workflows.

Before adopting VoiceQ, we extensively researched various competitive products to ensure we selected the most efficient and reliable solution for our dubbing operations. We explored alternatives such as Nuendo and Noblurway, each offering distinct features. However, we still need to meet our flexibility, integration, and user-friendliness requirements fully. 

Our journey toward VoiceQ began when a colleague introduced us to the dubbing space's complexities. Recognising the challenges of traditional dubbing workflows, we were drawn to VoiceQ's innovative approach, which streamlined the process and seamlessly integrated with tools like Pro Tools. VoiceQ stood out for its ability to manage multilingual projects efficiently, enhance lip-sync accuracy, and improve workflow efficiency. This, combined with its robust support and ongoing development, made it the ideal choice for our needs.

Can you share any significant recent project challenges?

Yes, one of our first big projects required the daunting task of dubbing 91 television series episodes simultaneously into three different languages: English, Zulu, and Afrikaans. To add to the complexity, the scripts we received were not time-coded, translated, or formatted for dubbing workflows. 

To meet delivery requirements, 14,000 minutes were spread across 273 episodes; we had to build new recording studios and assemble our teams within weeks.  Managing such a vast project required meticulous coordination, precise time coding, translation, and efficient tracking. Unfortunately, traditional workflows using paper scripts proved insufficient for the scale, budget, and speed required.

What was your approach to solving these challenges?

To address these challenges, we adopted a multi-pronged approach focusing on teams, facilities, technology, and workflows.

Staff recruitment and alignment: Understanding that the success of any project depends on the people behind it, we intentionally hired the right individuals. We sought professionals with extensive experience in dubbing and audio engineering, prioritising those who could quickly adapt and contribute immediately. Leveraging referrals and LinkedIn, we assembled a team whose industry knowledge and problem-solving abilities proved invaluable as we navigated the challenges ahead.

DIY Studios: To meet the high standards of the dubbing industry, we needed to create state-of-the-art studios that could support both current and future projects. With a limited budget, we had to be innovative, handling most of the installation and integration work ourselves, which often meant working through sleepless nights. We focused on integrating advanced technology and infrastructure, equipping our studios with the latest in sound engineering and recording tools, including soundproofing, acoustics optimisation, and high-quality audio interfaces, to ensure the integrity of our recordings.

Technology: We then invested in and implemented VoiceQ Studio, which includes VoiceQ Writer, VoiceQ Pro and VoiceQ Cloud. Each application played a crucial role in different stages of our workflow:

VoiceQ Writer - This tool became integral to our pre-production phase and critical for our synchronisation team. It facilitated character identification, line counting, and minute-per-character tracking, providing advanced reporting capabilities. It ensured all three languages were synced and ready for recording. Scripts' seamless import and export functionality ensured that our pre-production process was efficient and accurate.

VoiceQ Pro - Integrated with AVID Pro Tools, VoiceQ Pro was used extensively in our recording studios. This integration made the mixing stage easier, as we used Pro Tools. It allowed our engineers to connect directly with the AVID Pro Tools, streamlining the recording process and ensuring high-quality outputs. Additionally, VoiceQ and AVID Pro Tools allow the director and actor to hear the original audio or audio/lines already recorded/dubbed by the other actors in the same scene, for example. This ensured that the actor could understand and match the performance, enhancing the overall quality of the dubbing.

VoiceQ Cloud - For project management, VoiceQ Cloud provides real-time tracking of recorded lines, enabling our production team to make informed booking decisions swiftly. The cloud-based platform ensured all team members had access to up-to-date project statuses, enhancing coordination and efficiency. Project allocation for the sync and translation team was streamlined, and some directors could watch the episodes before they went to the studio. 

Additionally, any mistakes or missing elements (like missing lines or reactions) identified by the recording engineer in the studio could be updated and synced to the cloud instantly, allowing for immediate corrections and continuous workflow. VoiceQ Cloud also facilitated billing, making managing project costs easier and ensuring client transparency.

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Afika comments, “We delivered a 91-episode Telenovela, with an average of 41min per episode, dubbed into three different languages. For this project, we treated the three languages as a single project. The script preparation workflow required translators and adaptors to work on all three languages per script versus having dedicated teams for each language. The voice casting required over 360 characters for the whole season per language. Across the pre-recording and workflows, we improved time and cost savings by 66%, which was exceptional.  

Across the recording workflows, we improved time and cost savings by 30%, which was good, but this could have been even greater with more planning, training and time to master the tools. Even though we hit the ground running, the feedback from the Translators, Adaptors, Directors, Voice Talent and Engineers has been outstanding – refer to the VoiceQ User Experience  Results below

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Can you share any insights on your workflow transformation?

We achieved remarkable efficiency by treating the three languages as a single project for most workflow stages, such as syncing, translation, and recording. The VoiceQ solution enabled us to:

VoiceQ has provided incredible support and has accommodated our requests and feedback. We had access to pre-release software to address specific issues, demonstrating the kind of partnership we sought to grow with. This responsiveness and support have been crucial in refining our workflows and ensuring the success of our projects.

The implementation of VoiceQ solutions led to significant improvements in our workflow, resulting in:

How would you describe your arrival and impact on the South African dubbing industry?

As a new entrant in the dubbing industry, we recognised the importance of innovative workflows. Our successful implementation of VoiceQ solutions benefited our operations and positioned us to assist other studios. By becoming a reseller and support partner for VoiceQ products, we aim to share our knowledge and experience, helping the entire industry adopt efficient and effective dubbing workflows.

VoiceQ has been a game-changer for Amafu, enabling us to transform our dubbing workflow. The comprehensive suite of VoiceQ applications provided us with the tools to manage complex projects efficiently, from time coding to delivery. 

As a new player in the dubbing industry, this integration has positioned us as a competitive and technologically advanced studio capable of delivering high-quality localised content across multiple languages. Furthermore, as a reseller and support partner for VoiceQ, we are committed to helping other studios achieve similar success, benefiting the entire industry.