Netflix has found a lifeline on the African continent as rising competition has stifled growth in the United States (US).
Netflix lays out its plans to take over Africa
According to Tech Central, the streaming giant has accelerated plans to make its mark on Africa following the successful debut of Queen Sono.
This action-packed espionage series is a first for Netflix in Africa.
The numbers aren’t in yet but a week into its release and it still is still attracting a lot of engagement on social media.
The six-episode series follows the story of a fierce Special Operations Group (SOG) spy, Queen Sono (played by Pearl Thusi), who goes through the tribulations of a woman in the depths of espionage.
The distractions in the form of lust and revenge are constant on her quest to uncover the mystery behind her apartheid hero mother’s death.
African shows to look out for on Netflix in 2020
According to Dorothy Ghettuba, the Kenyan producer hired by Netflix as a commissioner of content in Africa, this is only the first phase of a planned continental takeover.
“We are diving all in when it comes to Africa — we are not just dipping our toes. Africans like to see themselves on screen, and Africa has a big population that wants to see their stories represented.” Ghettuba teased at the premiere of Queen Sono in Johannesburg.
Following the success of Queen Sono, there are a number of other thrilling shows that Netflix plans on releasing soon.
Next up on the roll film is a Zambian animated series, which will be followed by a mystery thriller set in Cape Town.
African video-on-demand subscriptions on the rise
All of this calls for exciting times ahead for the entertainment industry in the content.
For Netflix, there could not be a better time to play in Africa, since according to Digital TV Research, African subscriptions for video-on-demand services totalled $183 million (R2.87 billion) in 2019.
Multichoice faced with daunting reality
This figure is expected to rise exponentially to more than $1 billion by 2025. Netflix will have two years to set its mark in the market with the only main rival to contend with this great market share is Multichoice’s Showmax.
Amazon.com only holds a minority share of the video-on-demand services in South Africa.
However, Disney+ seems to be a haunting threat for the streaming industry and Netflix will be wary of its trail as it looks to penetrate a very eager African continent.
