Inaugural DISCOP Zanzibar Draws 500-Plus Attendees

The first edition of DISCOP Zanzibar wrapped last week following three days of meetings, networking and panels focused on the growth of the East African TV, film, digital and video-gaming sector.

The event, held in partnership with the Zanzibar International Film Festival (ZIFF), hosted more than 500 attendees, with just under 400 industry professionals. There were 75 content buyers in attendance, representing 58 public and commercial broadcasters, cable/satellite operators, online and inflight content aggregators, streaming platforms, and global and regional distributors from 17 African countries.

Also in attendance were 141 independent content producers from 16 countries, including 11 African countries. In addition, the event played host to 39 sales executives representing 24 global vendors of finished content and adaptation rights (19), as well as other professionals and experts from related media fields. Registration and attendance for the first-ever DISCOP Zanzibar exceeded DISCOP Markets’ expectations.

The three-day Next Gen program was also well-attended. Key panels such as The History and Future of Ethiopian Media and It’s Time for Africa: Creating & Producing for a Global Market drew a good number of attendees.

DISCOP Zanzibar was opened by the Minister of Information, Tourism and Heritage, who said, “According to a PwC report last year, the Kenyan entertainment and media market was worth U.S.$2.1 billion in 2016, up 13.6 percent on 2015 and will hit the $3 billion mark in 2020, and totaling $3.2 billion in 2021. The same report predicts that in Tanzania pay-TV subscription revenue will nearly double before 2021. The Tanzanian TV market will total $271 million in 2021, growing at an 11.8 percent [rate].

“The numbers from the industry speak for themselves, and there are a few organizations, such as DISCOP, who can see the potential and the value in this market, and who understand just how important the growth and development of this sector can be for the growth of the entire region.”

DISCOP Markets’ director for sub-Saharan Africa, Tim Mangwedi, commented, “After a long absence, DISCOP is back in Eastern Africa, in a move to strengthen its position as Africa’s and the Middle East’s number one destination for content trade and co-production business with five markets a year by end of 2020: Abidjan, Sharm El Sheikh, Lagos, Zanzibar and Johannesburg.”