VICE Partners with Econet for Sub-Saharan African Venture

VICE Media is partnering with Econet Media to scale up its presence in Sub-Saharan Africa via a new bureau and production studio in Johannesburg.

The joint venture, Kwesé VICE, will focus on developing, producing and distributing content both for its own channels and third-party platforms. Econet’s Kwesé TV is already the home of VICELAND in the region. The new venture launches in 2018. From the Johannesburg headquarters, with satellite offices in Nairobi and Lagos, Kwesé VICE will deliver tailored lifestyle and culture programming for Sub-Saharan Africa. It will also house creative agency Virtue Worldwide, which will deliver branded content specifically for the local African market.

Matt Elek, CEO of VICE Media in EMEA, commented, “Continuing to build on what’s been a flourishing partnership with Econet over the past year, we’re excited to be fully launching VICE across the region. Pairing Econet’s extensive local knowledge and innovative distribution with VICE’s creative powerhouse and storytelling expertise, we’re committed to delivering a fresh new voice for Africa’s diverse youth audiences.”

Joseph Hundah, president and group CEO of Econet Media, added, “We’ve announced a number of landmark partnerships for the continent and this venture is particularly exciting as it adds to our offering for the youth demographic across the continent. VICE is an important strategic partner for us in building an innovative, future-focused media business for Africa.”