In a bid to explore the intersection of film and technology in Africa, Rollpay Africa, in partnership with Nile Entertainment, organised the Film Tech Connect Exhibition at Nile Cinemas, Ikota, Lekki. The event brought together key figures from the entertainment, tech, and business industries to discuss and showcase innovations set to shape the future of African filmmaking.
Moses Babatope, founder of Nile Media Entertainment, expressed enthusiasm for the initiative, stating, “We’ve set out to take Nollywood to the world. To achieve that, we must refine our processes, from production to payments. Rollpay is one of those tools that ensure our industry becomes more structured and globally competitive.”
The Birth of Rollpay
Developed by Recce Solutions, the tool was created to simplify and automate budget management, accounting, and payments before, during, and after production. Traditionally, Nollywood filmmakers relied on manual banking processes, which often led to delays, errors, and inefficiencies. With Rollpay, these problems are becoming a thing of the past.
Chioma Paul Dike of Recce Solutions explained, “For Rollpay, we thought about how to simplify and make easy the payment process in the film and entertainment business. Whereas we’ve been doing it the traditional way—banks, transfers, hiccups, all of that—with Rollpay, filmmakers and producers can seamlessly make payments to their cast and crew by scheduling those payments.”
How Rollpay Works
Rollpay offers a seamless process for filmmakers:
- Onboarding Cast and Crew: Filmmakers can register their entire production team on the platform, ensuring everyone is accounted for from the start.
- Scheduled Payments: Instead of handling bulk payments manually, producers can automate and schedule payments to ensure timely disbursement of salaries and vendor fees.
- Expense Tracking: The app provides real-time tracking of expenses, ensuring that budgets remain intact and financial leaks are minimised.
- Investor Reports: Rollpay generates comprehensive reports for investors, giving them clear insights into budget allocations and expenditures.
Chioma Paul Dike further emphasised the efficiency of the platform, stating, “Having been in the industry for a while, I have noticed that there’s a lot of time wasted in making payments to a number of cast and crew on projects. There are always bank transfer issues, network issues, and the like. So we thought to make an innovative solution where filmmakers and producers can seamlessly pay their cast and crew without any network challenge, without wasting time.”
The Impact on Nollywood Productions
The introduction of this tech is a game-changer for Nollywood, which has historically faced financial management struggles. Payment delays have often caused production halts, affecting timelines and increasing costs. By ensuring prompt payments and real-time budget tracking, Rollpay is addressing these inefficiencies and making film production more sustainable.
Additionally, the transparency it brings to financial transactions builds trust between producers, investors, and crew members. With a system that guarantees timely payments, Nollywood’s creative workforce can focus on what truly matters—bringing stories to life on screen.
Industry Reactions to Rollpay
At the recent industry event, Rollpay was highlighted as a key innovation for Nollywood’s future and the industry is welcoming the new tech. Uche Okocha, founder of Trino Motions Pictures, is excited about the invention “We are embracing it and I feel like every other production company should be open to it.”
Folajimi Alli Balogun, a financial advisor at MBO Capital, also weighed in on the need for such a system, stating, “The industry is changing, and we have to adapt. Rollpay offers a flexible financial solution that addresses specific challenges in film production.”
Folu Storms, an actress and industry stakeholder, praised the rise of tech solutions in Nollywood, saying, “It’s always exciting to see technology solving our industry’s problems. Rollpay is a step in the right direction—it means better equity and efficiency for everyone involved.”
Chioma Paul Dike praised the collaboration, stating, “We’re always looking for innovative ways to contribute to the industry. And with Nile Entertainment, we see how innovative and forward-thinking they are. They are on the same pedestal as us for solutions for the film industry.”
Rollpay’s launch marks the beginning of a broader technological shift in Nollywood. For filmmakers, investors, and production crew members, Rollpay represents more than just a payment solution; it’s a step towards a more professionalised and financially structured Nollywood.
