Rita, who made an appearance on Personality Profile on the Accra-based radio station, pointed out that while many filmmakers are putting a lot of effort into their work, what will improve their lives are royalties, also known as residuals in the film industry.
“It will be good for African actors to receive their royalties, as this will prevent people from struggling as they age, which has been a problem in the industry for certain elderly actors. They shouldn’t have to have financial difficulties.
These are individuals who have participated in and completed large-scale motion pictures, and who all of a sudden find themselves in financial difficulties as they get older. Their movies are still being viewed on YouTube and other platforms in the interim, and they are even receiving royalties or payment from them,” the spokesperson stated.
The majority of African film companies have lamented the absence of appropriate mechanisms for collecting residuals from publicly viewed audiovisual output. When a TV show or movie is licensed to streaming media, reruns on cable, is released on DVD, or is rerun by another company, the actors, directors of the film or television, and other producers receive residual payments.
The Nigerian actor guild has consistently maintained that every new license, whether it be for streaming or television airings, should also equate to increased pay for them. The Audiovisual Rights Society of Ghana (ARSOG) has also drawn criticism for not allocating residuals to its members in a fair manner in Ghana.
Rita hinted that actresses should practice sound money management to avoid going hungry in later life during her interview with Lexis Bill.
“Maybe some of us need to invest more, do more financial planning, and understand that the work will not always keep coming,” she added. She claims that despite the pressure some actresses face to maintain their star lifestyles, she has always lived within her means.
“You have to know how to spend our money since it is costly as well to support the brand or the celebrity status. I don’t sense any pressure. That is not who I am. I don’t feel under any kind of pressure. Some do, so they feel compelled to take additional steps to maintain their appearance,” he said. Media personality Nana Aba Anamoah organized the Women of Valour Summit in Ghana, where Rita, a titan of the Nigerian film industry, spoke.
Among the other women who spoke at the event were actor and broadcaster Bonang Matheba from South Africa and Ghanaian film producer Shirley Frimpong-Manso.
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