DISCOP Johannesburg 2019 to Promote African Co-Pros

DISCOP Johannesburg 2019 is set to focus on African television projects in development, partnerships with South Africa, the animation sector and exporting content produced on the continent.

The market, which will be held from November 20 to 22, will feature a program that promotes the commerce and co-production of multiscreen entertainment content across Africa. While competitive incentive programs are already available in countries such as South Africa, Kenya and Senegal, this year’s edition of DISCOP Johannesburg will focus extensively on African content producers to reach out to key players within the continent and elsewhere who could bring added value to projects in development.

The side-bar program DISCOPRO will see more than 50 speakers take part in panel discussions around the key pillars of the industry’s current transformation, including: what buyers actually want, exporting African content, empowering women in media and why dubbed content is so important. Further, in an addition for the 2019 program, 16 works in progress of international standard and with a set delivery date will be pitched by their producers to key regional and international industry players.

A series of masterclasses and a panel discussion led by experts from around the world sponsored by The Africa Channel will address how independent producers can export their content and best adapt to the fast-paced world of multicultural television. Four sessions will provide lessons on what makes a project aimed at multicultural audiences sell in today’s challenging environment. A tutorial track will spotlight South Africa’s rebates system and examine the benefits available through co-production treaties that exist between South Africa and the U.K., France, Germany, Canada and Australia.

Patrick Zuchowicki, president of DISCOP, said: “Not since the invention of television has Africa exercised such an influence on the creation of original multiscreen content. This year’s DISCOP Johannesburg will see three times more projects with cross-border potential brought to the market by African producers than in 2018.”

Narendra Reddy, general manager of The Africa Channel, added: “Broadcasters, premium cable channels and streaming platforms from around the world are starting to recognize the value of African content. However, producers on the continent need to be proactive and actively participate in creating opportunities for distribution. Furthermore, while production should continuously evolve to global standards in terms of technical quality, producers should endeavor to develop stories that are authentic, local and culturally specific.”