CIO opinion
CIO OPINION
and entertainment, all in one app. Over 100
million minutes were streamed, making it the
single largest live mobile streaming event
ever to take place in Africa over 30 days.
Necessity is the mother of
innovation: The show must go on
Despite a hunger for next generation
entertainment value, Africa has experienced
a number of access barriers, partly because
the continent is largely unbanked with
little access to credit cards for secure online
payments and also due to accessibility to
world-class services. In order to feed this
demand, businesses are looking towards
innovation in the form of trusted platforms,
compelling content and secure payments.
Previously, there were only two models
of streaming video-on-demand services
available to the African market. The big
international players with a focus on
western entertainment, and the smaller
platforms that host an array of local
content. Kwesé iflix found a niche in a third
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INTELLIGENTCIO
offering. By expanding on the traditional
video-on-demand model it introduced new,
engaging, localised programming and
features, providing a one-stop-shop for all
generations’ preferences.
From a platform perspective, it was also vital
to create a marketplace where customers
and content creators can take advantage of
the network effects present in most platform
business models such as Facebook or
YouTube. With over 70% of African markets
unbanked, connecting in different ways to
traditional content platforms will be the key
as Africa’s broadcast ecosystem continues
to evolve.
Curating to the heart’s content:
Where curated consideration is
building Africa’s content economy
The challenge with today’s digital era is the
tug of war between well curated, convenient
pay services and free services that offer less
value. We have to believe that when given
a reasonable choice to acknowledge the
value of shows that they are fans of, most
people will choose to do so legally. The
challenge to the industry is to provide that
reasonable choice. For example, previously
we bemoaned the low quality of Nollywood
content, but this is becoming less important
as the compelling nature of content and
storytelling shines through a selection
of innovative service models, with clear
improvements in production standards.
Having recognised the importance of
carrying local content, Econet Media will
also establish its own content creation
hub offering across its Kwesé Free Sports,
Kwesé iflix and Kwesé Play platforms. With
a presence in 11 markets, we realise the
importance of original local content as
Africa’s broadcast industry evolves into
the future. Additionally, as we transition
towards digital services, we will grant loyal
Kwesé TV subscribers complimentary access
to Kwesé iflix for 12 months. Taking these
trends into consideration, we hope to make
a significant shift in the continent’s complex
and competitive media industry. n
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