DISCOP Africa On Track for Record Attendance

LOS ANGELES: More than 1,000 delegates representing 700 companies from 85 countries are expected to attend next month’s DISCOP Africa.

The event, which takes place from October 31 to November 2 in Johannesburg, is pacing to welcome a record number of delegates. This includes all of Africa’s major broadcasters, pay-TV platforms, mobile operators, broadband-based services, closed-circuit networks and territorial distributors. Among the exhibitors set to attend are Caracol, FOX International Channels, Global Agency, Globo, NBCUniversal, Sony Pictures television, Telemundo, Televisa, Azteca and many others.

The 2012 edition will also welcome the largest contingent of African content distributors yet, housed under the Made in Africa banner. These include, among others, Endemol South Africa, MNet, OH Africa, Rapid Blue and Wananchi Programming Group. There will be a co-production forum and a conference schedule dedicated to local and international partnerships.

“One of the main drivers of the content business in Africa will be local programming. There will be a shift to regional co-production and distribution models as non-African content will play a lesser role in the years to come,” said Patrick Jucaud-Zuchowicki, the general manager of Basic Lead. “In such a context, we see it as our role to reinforce DISCOP AFRICA’s relevance as a marketplace for independent content producers from the region seeking to forge cross-border relationships. Special efforts have also been deployed to attract non-African television content acquisitions executives interested in the increasing range of good quality content and formats created in Africa.”