MultiChoice expands global reach of African stories

In an opening speech at MIPAfrica, Nomsa Philiso, CEO of General Entertainment at MultiChoice Group, highlighted the growing global presence of African films and TV series.

He stated that more African content is being broadcast worldwide than ever before.

“There’s a good chance that Africa’s film industry is about to have its own global moment,” Philiso said, pointing to the success of Afrobeats, Amapiano, and African music.

Philiso noted several significant achievements for African content in the past year, including Rise: The Siya Kolisi Story, which won the Audience Award at Tribeca; Two Sides, nominated for Best Sports Documentary at the iEmmys; Catch Me A Killer, the first South African series to compete at Series Mania, winning a British Production Designer’s Guild award; Wyfie, which received nominations at the Global Production Awards and for Best TV Series at Seoul; and Spinners, the first African series at Canneseries, winning Best Foreign Series at Shanghai’s Magnolia Awards, beating the final season of Succession.

Also Read: BREAKING: Hajiya Yar’Adua passes away at 102

MultiChoice has been actively promoting African stories through its sales arm, MultiChoice Studios, and partnerships with distributors like Abacus, AMC, Fremantle, StudioCanal, and The Exchange, who represented MIPAfrica’s opening film, The Fix.

Philiso also mentioned the success of Reyka, a crime drama that opened the Monte-Carlo Television Festival and earned International Emmy nominations in 2022.

Fremantle sold the first series to over 150 territories, including BritBox North America, CANAL+, Channel4 (UK), HBO LatAm, and Sky Italia. The second season, launching in February 2024, is set in Durban harbor, with Fremantle again securing strong sales.

Other notable successes include The Real Housewives of Durban, which aired on platforms like hayu, Peacock, and Bravo; Devil’s Peak, sold 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, sold by Fremantle to Sundance Now in North America, reaching #3 on STAN in Australia and recently added to Channel4 (UK) in May 2024; Spinners, which charted at #6 during its primetime run on CANAL+ in France and sold to Globo Brasil, with Season 2 currently in development; and Recipes for Love and Murder, sold by Acorn TV to UKTV’s Alibi Channel, now available in 95 countries, including Japan.

Philiso stressed that while international reach is crucial, MultiChoice’s primary focus remains producing content for its African audience. “Africans want to hear their own languages and see themselves reflected in what they watch,” she said, noting that on Showmax, nine out of the ten most-watched shows since its relaunch in February have been local.