African films and TV series storm global stage

At the opening of MIPAfrica on Monday, Nomsa Philiso, CEO of General Entertainment at MultiChoice Group, announced that more African films and TV series are reaching global audiences than ever before.

“There’s a strong possibility that Africa’s film industry is on the brink of a global breakthrough,” said Philiso. “We’ve already witnessed this with Afrobeats, Amapiano, and African music as a whole.”

MIPAfrica showcases African content

MIPAfrica is an event focused on the television and digital content industry, specifically tailored to the African market.

It serves as a platform for showcasing African content, facilitating networking, and fostering business opportunities between African and international media professionals.

The event highlights the growing influence of African film, television, and digital content on the global stage, providing a space for industry stakeholders to connect, collaborate, and explore new ventures.

Philiso highlighted several major achievements for African content in the past year, including:

• Rise: The Siya Kolisi Story won the Audience Award at Tribeca.
• Two Sides earned a nomination for Best Sports Documentary at the International Emmys.
• Catch Me A Killer became the first South African series to compete at Series Mania and won a British Production Designer’s Guild award.
• Wyfie was nominated at the Global Production Awards and for Best TV Series in Seoul.
• Spinners became the first African series at Canneseries and won Best Foreign Series at Shanghai’s Magnolia Awards, beating the Emmy-winning final season of Succession.

African stories go big with major studios

MultiChoice has also expanded the reach of African stories through MultiChoice Studios and partnerships with distributors like Abacus, AMC, Fremantle, StudioCanal, and The Exchange, which is representing MIPAfrica’s opening film, The Fix.

Reyka opened the Monte-Carlo Television Festival in 2022. It received International Emmy nominations for Best Drama and Best Actress for Kim Engelbrecht in 2022. Fremantle then sold the series to over 150 territories. Season 2, launched in February 2024, shifted the action to Durban Harbour, with Fremantle once again seeing strong sales.

Additional successes include:

• The Real Housewives of Durban now airing on platforms like Hayu, Peacock, and Bravo, the franchise’s original home.
• Devil’s Peak selling to Tubi for North America in January 2024.
• Catch Me A Killer, sold by Abacus to BritBox North America, UKTV, and SBS Australia in February 2024.
• White Lies is being sold by Fremantle to Sundance Now in North America, reached #3 on STAN in Australia, and recently added Channel 4 (UK).
• Spinners charted at #6 during its primetime run on CANAL+ in France, with sales also to Globo Brasil; Season 2 is currently in development.
• Recipes for Love and Murder, a Berlinale Series Market Selects title, sold by Acorn TV to UKTV’s Alibi Channel, making the murder mystery available in 95 countries, including Japan on NHK’s Mystery Channel.

Focus remains on producing content for African audience

Philiso stressed that while international success is significant, MultiChoice’s primary focus remains on producing content for its African audience.

“Africans, like everyone else, want to hear their own languages and see themselves reflected in what they watch,” she said.

“On Showmax, 9 out of the 10 most-watched shows since its relaunch in February have been local. It took a massive show like House of the Dragon to make a dent.”

As Africa’s largest content producer, with a presence in 50 of the continent’s 54 countries and stories told in 45 languages, MultiChoice continues to lead in African storytelling. Recent successes include Shaka iLembe, the most Googled TV series in South Africa last year. Big Brother Naija garnered 1.8 billion votes. East African content is also flourishing, with Showmax Originals Pepeta and The Real Housewives of Nairobi winning Viewers’ Choice and Best TV Show at the 2024 Kalasha Awards.

“We’ve been buying content from global giants for decades. Now, these relationships are becoming increasingly reciprocal as demand for African content grows. Our scale and proven track record make us an ideal partner in Africa for anyone as excited as we are about expanding the global content landscape.”

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