Africa’s Broadcasting Revolution: African Business

Africa’s young audiences are embracing tried-and-true formulas for television programming from elsewhere in the world – “homegrown, home-produced content telling stories about themselves – it’s the same the world over,” as suggested by an executive of TVC Communications, as reported by David Thomas for African Business Magazine. Popular shows include Wake Up Nigeria and The Bachelor in South Africa. “With a population set to double to 2.5bn over the next 30 years, Africa offers a vast and growing youth demographic for broadcasters and content producers, and an irresistible market for advertisers who wish to target audiences with homegrown and international products, brands and services.” Thomas describes the growing markets hungry for entertainment in Nigeria, Kenya, Tanzania and South Africa. Audiences appreciate local content, but also expect high quality that requires specialized labor and talent. To improve production standards, firms in Nigeria and elsewhere experiment with subscription models, YouTube channels and collaborations with international production companies, though this is hampered somewhat by slow transition from digital to analog transmissions, and low internet and mobile-phone penetration throughout the continent due to high costs. – YaleGlobal