‘Made in Africa' content boosts African economies

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DISCOP Johannesburg 2017 is the world’s largest and most important African entertainment content market and takes place 25-27 October, at the Sandton Convention Centre.

With revenue from Africa’s pay-TV market sitting at $4.4 billion and expected to exceed $6 billion by 2021, the time is now to continue the momentum of content production as a significant economic booster for African economies.

Close to 250+ international, regional and local suppliers and producers of film, television and digital content, adaptation rights and packaged TV channels will be attending DISCOP Johannesburg with more than 10,000+ movies, limited and episodic TV series, dramas, animated and educational content, formats, documentaries, and much more. They will exhibit across a 5,000 SQ. meter market floor at the Sandton Convention Centre.

African broadcasters are also more than ever looking for African content, and a host of top African broadcasters, streaming networks and content aggregators are registered to attend, including, Africa TV Kinshasha, Kana TV Ethiopia, Ghone Television Ghana, Radio Television Burkina Faso, Botswana Television, Mnet Africa Magic Nigeria, Kwese TV, Showmax, Mnet, SABC South Africa, etv South Africa, Showmax, and RTI Cote d’Ivoire, amongst others.

International buyers

African produced content rightfully took its place centre stage last year at DISCOP Johannesburg with 267 of the 347 production houses in attendance hailing from Africa, an increase from 193 in 2015.

With a total over 10,000 hours of original programming presented by 300+ global, regional and local content distributors and producers, from 60 countries, delegates at this year’s event will notice the abundance of content produced in Africa on offer.

This year, of the nearly 1,000 registered delegates there are representatives from 32 sub-Saharan African countries:

• 212 independent producers from Sub-Saharan Africa.
• 225 content acquisitions executives from Sub-Saharan Africa.
• 128 content distributors from Sub-Saharan Africa.
• 287 companies selling content "Made in Africa".

These producers and distributors will be presenting their content to international buyers from across the globe including, Fox, NBC Universal, Viacom, Disney, Canal +, CBS, LionsGate, DreamWorks and Cote Ouest amongst others.

Running parallel to the market and open to all registered delegates, The Next Gen Program will feature speakers and experts from major corporations, smaller companies and select start-ups, both onstage and in carefully constructed discussions and workshops.

The Next Gen Program will specifically target film, television and digital content producers and help improve pitching, networking and business skills. It will guarantee access to indispensable information on alternative distribution and funding opportunities; on virtual reality content production, funding and distribution; on expanding relations between Francophone and Anglophone Africa.

The program will also put under the spotlight, Ethiopia, a country with a population in the upwards of 100+ million; animation, Africa’s fastest-growing and most creative content production and distribution segment, and the new global streaming services and their impact on homegrown original content production.