French-Speaking Africa to Take Center Stage at DISCOP Africa 2014

JOHANNESBURG/LOS ANGELES: Next month's DISCOP Africa is expecting attendance from a record-breaking 45 companies representing French-speaking Africa, according to Basic Lead, the event's organizer.

With Ivory Coast as the Guest Country, DISCOP Africa 2014 will have a special focus on French-speaking Africa, offering opportunities for both French- and English-speaking participants. This year's event is scheduled to kick off at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg on November 5. It will unite such distributors, networks and industry stakeholders as Canal+, AB Groupe, France 24, TV5 Monde, TV France International, Côte Ouest, Lagardère Entertainment, France Télévisions Distribution, Mediametrie, AB International Distribution, Dream On, Capa TV, AFP and Thema TV. Also lined up to attend are the leading international platforms Orange, Netflix, YouTube and Twitter.

Patrick Zuchowicki, founder of DISCOP Africa, remarked: "French-speaking Africa is set to play a major role in the development of the television content production and distribution business across Africa and internationally, with French predicted to be the most spoken language in the world by 2050 in a recent Natixis/Forbes study, and the majority of French speakers living in Africa."

"We are very proud to see DISCOP strongly reflecting these key trends and opportunities for Africa and beyond," he continued. "The event provides an important platform to nurture content development and distribution throughout this growing region, bringing together the world's leading producers and content providers to foster and support exciting new partnerships."