OK, we’ve all heard it repeatedly for years now… Africa is the next big market. Africa is the next big market. The numbers certainly support that it could be. On the continent, the revenue generated makes impressive leaps upward yearly, and even as the shifting consumer behavior puts pressure on traditional models, linear TV still draws viewers for live sports and appointment television, while both Africa-based OTT platforms such as Showmax, as well Netflix and Amazon Prime subscribers, continue to increase.
For certain, the 2025 African television landscape is a vibrant and rapidly evolving one, with a growing emphasis on producing high-quality and diverse programming that appeals to both local and international audiences. African television has seen a significant increase in investment and innovation, leading to a surge in the production of original content that reflects the rich cultural diversity of the continent and the creativity of both young innovative producers and long-established players.
One of the key factors driving the growth of the African television industry is the increasing value and interest in African programming around the world. African content is gaining popularity on the global stage, attracting international audiences and critical acclaim. This only leads to a greater demand for African content from international broadcasters and streaming platforms, further boosting the profile of African television on the global stage. Many platforms strive to be thought of as having the broadest selection of international content, and for these, having Africa prominently represented in their offerings is a must, for both their viewers who want global options and the growing African diaspora seeking homegrown content.
And so, yes, as we’ve all heard everywhere and for a while now, and correctly, Africa is indeed poised to become the next big media market, with a rapidly expanding middle class and a youthful population that is hungry for content that reflects their own experiences and aspirations. This has created a fertile ground for the development of a wide range of programming, from drama and comedy to reality shows and documentaries, that resonates with African audiences and seems poised to interest and captivate viewers around the world.
In terms of the type of programming being produced in Africa and reaching the rest of the world, there is a diverse range of content that showcases the talent and creativity of African filmmakers and storytellers. From gritty crime dramas set in urban centers like Johannesburg and Lagos, to heartwarming family comedies set in small villages, African television offers a rich tapestry of stories that reflect the complexities and contradictions of modern African life, and at this relatively still early stage of its global reach, the world seems interested.
All of this sounds promising, but it must be viewed in the context of the 2025 global state of the industry. African content is going worldwide in a very different moment than that in which other continents and regions hit the rest of the world. License fees are not what they once were in the heydays of terrestrial, cable and satellite. Series tend to be of significantly shorter running times, which typically means significantly less revenue, and programming now competes for acquisition with content from pretty much the entire world these days. Films, although certainly of continued importance to numerous platforms, don’t keep subscribers subscribed, a real concern of many SVoDs.
Thus, it remains to be seen, despite all the aforementioned positives, the extent of the inroads that African content can make in a global market more crowded, more evolved than ever before. We’ll see.
(By Bruce Rabinowitz)
Audio Version (a DV Works service)
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