The future of audiovisual preservation in Africa may lie not in shipping valuable archives abroad, but in bringing digitisation technology directly to where the collections are housed.
This was the key message delivered by Jean-Christophe Kummer, CEO of NOA Archives, during the recent BMA Webinar on Identifying, Safeguarding and Managing Risks to Sound and Audio-Visual Archives and Collections, where he outlined a new approach to media preservation that prioritises security, efficiency, and local capacity building.
Speaking to broadcasters, archivists, cultural institutions, and media professionals from across Africa, Kummer highlighted the growing advantages of deploying specialised digitisation systems directly within archive facilities, eliminating many of the risks traditionally associated with large-scale preservation projects.
“For many years, archives often had little choice but to transport their collections to external service providers for digitisation,” Kummer explained. “Today, technology allows us to bring the expertise and equipment to the archive itself, significantly reducing operational and preservation risks.”
According to Kummer, transporting fragile and often irreplaceable audiovisual materials can expose collections to a range of threats, including physical damage, loss, environmental changes, and logistical complications. For institutions responsible for preserving national memory and cultural heritage, these risks can be substantial.
By adopting on-site digitisation models, archives can maintain direct control over their collections while ensuring that preservation activities occur in a secure, familiar environment.
The approach is particularly relevant for Africa, where many institutions hold historically significant audio and video collections documenting decades of political, cultural, social, and economic development.
Kummer noted that advances in digitisation technology now make it possible to establish highly specialised preservation workflows within archive facilities themselves. These solutions combine professional playback systems, digitisation platforms, metadata management tools, and expert technical support to create comprehensive preservation environments without requiring materials to leave the institution.
Beyond improving collection security, on-site digitisation also offers opportunities for skills development and knowledge transfer.
“When preservation work happens within the archive, local teams become active participants in the process,” Kummer said. “This creates valuable opportunities to build internal expertise and strengthen long-term preservation capabilities.”
The presentation also highlighted the growing need for archives to develop sustainable preservation strategies as ageing audiovisual formats become increasingly difficult to access. While digitisation remains a critical priority, Kummer stressed that preservation projects must be designed to balance technical requirements, operational realities, and available resources.
Participants in the webinar heard how modern preservation programmes are increasingly combining advanced technology with practical, scalable workflows that can be adapted to the unique circumstances of individual institutions.
As African broadcasters, national archives, museums, libraries, and cultural organisations continue to modernise their preservation practices, on-site digitisation is emerging as a strategic solution that not only protects valuable collections but also helps institutions retain ownership, oversight, and expertise throughout the preservation process.
To view Kummer’s insights, please click HERE.
