DISCOP Johannesburg Sees 154 Percent Increase in Advance Bookings

There are already more than 650 delegates pre-registered for the sixth edition of DISCOP Johannesburg, which is taking place October 25 to 27.

DISCOP Johannesburg 2017 is set to welcome 1,000-plus international sellers, buyers and producers. More than 10,000 hours of original programming will be traded on an expanding market floor featuring 250-plus global, regional and local distributors and producers from 60 countries.

“In comparison to previous editions, delegates will be surprised by the abundance of content produced in Africa offered at the market,” said Patrick Zuchowicki, the president of DISCOP. “Content trade on the continent is expected to grow dramatically in the next five years. And this growth will be fueled primarily by homegrown productions.”

The three-day event will also feature the Next Gen Program, running parallel to the market and designed for creative, production and programming executives aspiring to become leaders in the entertainment industry.

“The Next Gen Program will guarantee access to indispensable information on alternative distribution and funding opportunities, virtual reality content production, expanding relations between Francophone and Anglophone Africa, and between Germany, DISCOP Johannesburg 2017’s guest country, and South Africa,” added Gert Botes, DISCOP’s sidebar events director. “The Next Gen Program will also put under the spotlight animation, Africa’s fastest growing and most creative entertainment segment; the new global streaming services and their impact on original content production; and Ethiopia, the continent’s rising star.”