ViB Mobile pays half a million Pula royalty fees to COVID-19 hit musicians
Spira Tlhankane | Friday February 19, 2021 15:54
ViB Mobile is a subsidiary of ViB Group, which is a market leader in premium licensed digital content in Botswana.
Local songstress, Amantle Brown leads the pack in the latest payments with P27.3K while legendary gospel crooner, Phempheretlhe Bafana Pheto comes second with P25.2K. Culture Spears and Charma Gal, with an undisclosed amount, follow on third and fourth respectively. To complete the top 6 is ATI with P14.2k and Franco with P12.2K. Foreign artists in the top 10 include Splash and Thabile Mazolwana.
In a press statement released by ViBMobile, R&B sensation and this year’s top earner Amantle Brown was quoted saying that the royalty fees came at a time of need.
“It’s during these trying times when you appreciate companies like ViB Mobile, which are keen to extend a helping hand towards the artists to make them recognise that it’s always and will always continue to be by their side by any means,” she chorussed emotionally.
Since 2015, ViB Mobile has awarded local artists royalties of over P3 million . They still encourage digitally unsigned artists to sign with them in order to make their music digitally accessible and consequently diversify their revenue streams.
“As it is the company’s norm for the past 10 years to give out royalties, local artists received their royalties fee cheques for the months of July to December 2020 last Friday at ViB Mobile Head 0ffices inside the Gaborone International Finance Park. “This year’s royalties come at a time where the arts and entertainment industry has come to a standstill,” further stated the press release.
ViB Mobile Chief Executive Officer, Leroy Monaheng added, modestly that they were wholly committed to improving the local entertainment industry, as they aspired to empower the local artists to generate sustainable revenue through digital streaming and downloads.
“In an endeavour to make this journey a success, we are proud to announce that we will be launching the first digital streaming and downloads awards soon”, he said.
Monaheng alluded that the company will also donate a new football kit to Artists’ Soccer Team through ViB Foundation in an effort to help them to stay fit and in shape during these trying times. The COVID-19 pandemic has been catastrophic for the music industry because it was one of the first to close down, and is likely to be one of the last to fully reopen once the crisis has passed.