{"id":1440,"date":"2015-01-16T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2015-01-16T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvmiddleeastafrica\/2015\/01\/16\/african-allure\/"},"modified":"2016-01-20T15:42:49","modified_gmt":"2016-01-20T20:42:49","slug":"african-allure","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvmiddleeastafrica\/african-allure\/","title":{"rendered":"African Allure"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"This article originally appeared in the MIPCOM 2014 issue of <\/em>TV MEA.<\/em><\/p>\n

Distributors are finding demand for a cross section of genres from buyers across the African continent.<\/em><\/p>\n

From the scorching desert of the north to the snow-covered mountains of the south, Africa\u2019s media industry is as diverse as the continent\u2019s terrain.<\/p>\n

The majority of the 54 countries in Africa still face political and economic obstacles, but an increasing number of them, led by South Africa, have established television markets and growing economies. And not just in free TV\u2014the growth of disposable income is also fueling the development of pay TV.<\/p>\n

The second-largest continent on the planet is also broadly divided into large language and cultural swaths, with Arabic, English, French and Portuguese among the numerous languages spoken across the continent. All of this adds up to lots of challenges\u2014but mostly opportunities\u2014for companies selling TV and film product to Africa.<\/p>\n

The region\u2019s annual TV content wholesale business is valued at more than $500 million\u2014twice as much as four years ago. These figures come from Basic Lead, the company that organizes DISCOP Africa, the annual market where much of the continent\u2019s annual buying and selling of TV programming is conducted. This year\u2019s market, which will unite more than 2,000 delegates from some 90 countries, is slated to take place November 5 to 7 in Johannesburg.<\/p>\n

HOT SPOTS<\/strong>
\nSouth Africa has the most advanced media industry in Africa, but distributors are spotting numerous other promising countries. \u201cWe\u2019re seeing new platforms emerging throughout the continent as economies continue to grow and adapt,\u201d says Michael Lolato, the senior VP of international distribution at GRB Entertainment, which represents a large slate of reality and factual programming, plus an increasing number of scripted titles. Lolato has been noticing growth in Angola, Mozambique and parts of East Africa.<\/p>\n

Electus International, the company that sells The Hero<\/em>, Candid Camera<\/em> and many other shows around the world, mainly conducts business with pan-African and South African outlets, including M-Net, e.tv, SABC and Discovery. \u201cHowever, there are new opportunities slowly opening up in Ghana, Kenya and Nigeria,\u201d says John Pollak, the president of Electus International. \u201cAdditionally, there are new channels emerging that are not only buying for a specific country, but for a territory group that speaks the same language and shares a strong cultural identity. We see this as a great opportunity, as these buying groups can pool resources to license top-tier content that in the past would not be as available to them.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Filipino distributor GMA Worldwide \u201ccontinues to explore all possible African markets regardless of where they are in the standings,\u201d says Roxanne Barcelona, the company\u2019s VP. \u201cWe always aim to build relationships with new partners while reinforcing our ties with our current clients year after year.\u201d<\/p>\n

Televisa Internacional, the distribution arm of the world\u2019s largest Spanish-language content producer, is active in nearly all of the key markets in English-, French-, Portuguese- and Arabic-speaking Africa, according to Douglas Welch, its sales director for Africa, who is seeing an increased demand for the company\u2019s content in both free- and pay-TV arenas.<\/p>\n

Broadcasters in Portuguese-speaking countries\u2014including Mozambique\u2019s Soico Televis\u00e3o (STV) and Angola\u2019s Televis\u00e3o P\u00fablica (TPA)\u2014are the most regular African partners for the commercial arm of the Brazilian broadcaster Globo, which produces content in Portuguese. \u201cMore recently, Globo has also seen interest from new players such as TCV, a public channel in Cape Verde, and also in French-speaking Africa, where we have C\u00f4te Ouest Audiovisuel as a big partner,\u201d says Raphael Corr\u00eaa Netto, Globo\u2019s executive director of international business. He adds that the company has licensed its productions in Madagascar, Ivory Coast, Senegal, Cameroon and Congo, among other markets.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur biggest clients are the English pay-TV channels, which cover most of the continent, and they have their big audiences in countries like Kenya or Uganda,\u201d says Berta Orozco, sales executive for Western Europe, Africa and the Middle East at Colombia\u2019s Caracol TV Internacional. \u201cWe also have very good clients in free TV in Ghana, Kenya and Nigeria.\u201d She notes that the company has new clients located in Tanzania, Namibia and Zambia. \u201cThe market for telenovelas is always increasing,\u201d she adds.<\/p>\n

While the demand for content is strong, the logistics of selling to African broadcasters can be daunting. \u201cA constant challenge for GMA Worldwide is providing quality English-dubbed material versions of our titles,\u201d says Barcelona. \u201cIt is demanding work, but it helps expand our library and also helps us grow as a company.\u201d<\/p>\n

FORMAT FIX<\/strong>
\nOne of the main obstacles frequently faced by Electus is producing local adaptations of formats using African broadcasters\u2019 limited budgets. The best way to approach this is by carefully choosing the right partners to collaborate with. \u201cWorking with strong channels and smart producers allows us to intelligently and systematically bring African versions of our shows to life,\u201d says Pollak.<\/p>\n

For Globo, \u201cthe main challenge is to develop a product with high production quality, which allows people to identify with it and create connections with the story being told,\u201d says Corr\u00eaa Netto.<\/p>\n

A new complication facing the majority of the players in the African television industry is the 2015 deadline to shut off analog terrestrial television signals. There is some concern that not every country will be ready for the impending switchover, which is mandated by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). And if analog signals are discontinued before everyone is fully prepared to go digital, many viewers in the region could find themselves unable to watch TV.<\/p>\n

\u201cA major technological switch like the analog\/digital changeover is a challenge in any market,\u201d says GRB\u2019s Lolato. \u201cWhile there are many benefits to the change and the mandated deadline, should the switch happen before the adequate preparation is in place, broadcasters risk seeing a negative impact in advertising revenue and\/or subscription revenue if a high number of viewers lose access to tele\u00advision during that time.\u201d<\/p>\n

But if executed successfully, the digital switchover will signify a big step forward for African TV. \u201cThis is a very exciting time to be working in the television industry in Africa,\u201d says Televisa\u2019s Welch. \u201cWhile the transition currently taking place may at times seem like a difficult hurdle to overcome, it also represents a wealth of new opportunities for the region and the television industry as a whole.\u201d<\/p>\n

THE POWER OF NOVELAS<\/strong>
\nTelevisa is a major worldwide supplier of telenovelas. What audience doesn\u2019t love intrigue, passion and romance? African viewers respond to the universal themes in Latin American novelas just as enthusiastically as audiences in other countries do.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhile the response to our latest releases, such as Lo que la vida me rob\u00f3<\/em> (What Life Took from Me<\/em>) and Coraz\u00f3n Indomable <\/em>(Wild at Heart<\/em>), has been extremely favorable, there continues to be a demand for our classic hits, such as Rub\u00ed<\/em> and Marimar<\/em>, throughout the region,\u201d says Televisa\u2019s Welch. Many of Televisa\u2019s novelas deal with universal emotions, but, as Welch notes, they \u201calso stress the importance of family, loyalty and hard work; themes that really hit home with African audiences.\u201d<\/p>\n

FAMILY APPEAL<\/strong>
\nCaracol\u2019s Orozco agrees. \u201cTelenovelas are very much appreciated in Africa. Most of ours are family-oriented, and this is a concept that suits Africa\u2019s channels. We also have some productions that have a touch of humor; this is new to telenovelas, especially in Africa.\u201d The company\u2019s most successful titles in the region include Made in Cartagena<\/em> and Love Her to Death<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Globo has also done brisk business in the region. Among its best-selling telenovelas in Africa are Trail of Lies<\/em>, Side by Side<\/em>, Tangled Hearts<\/em> and Brave Woman<\/em>\u2014all four were picked up by STV in Mozambique. Brave Woman<\/em> is also headed to TPA in Angola and TCV in Cape Verde. Globo\u2019s shows, in addition to appealing to broadcast clients in Africa, are doing well on Globo\u2019s own channel, TV Globo Internacional, which reaches more than 200,000 subscribers on the continent.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe audience in Africa, as well as around the world, is looking for quality content that deals with universal themes such as love, revenge and family,\u201d says Corr\u00eaa Netto. \u201cGlobo is recognized internationally for producing telenovelas with these characteristics, so we trust that our stories are capable of creating a dialogue with the public, regardless of its culture, through engaging narratives and great talent in the cast.\u201d<\/p>\n

Electus International has observed that American programming is in demand among the major channels in the region. \u201cUnlike a lot of other markets, big prime-time entertainment series from the U.S. have continued to rate with access and prime-time audiences in Africa,\u201d says Pollak. \u201cThe U.S. version of TNT\u2019s The Hero<\/em> launched in January and performed well for M-Net, which also aired ABC\u2019s Bet on Your Baby<\/em> and launched NBC\u2019s Food Fighters<\/em> this year.\u201d<\/p>\n

Increasingly, Pollak has noticed that networks across the continent are willing to make their own local versions of formats. \u201cEven though finished tape is still the most sought-after form of content because of the higher costs and risks associated with producing an original series, broadcasters are getting more aggressive about producing locally,\u201d he says. \u201cWe have been approached several times by broadcasters interested in adapting our brand-friendly series such as Bet on Your Baby<\/em> and Food Fighters<\/em>. Thanks to our deep relationships with brands and retailers, and our knowledge and experience in working with local producers, we are able to both license the finished tape and have in-depth conversations about local series at the same time.\u201d<\/p>\n

African channels are also looking to fill their schedules with other types of programming. \u201cWe\u2019ve been seeing tremendous interest throughout the region for scripted content, character-driven docu-soaps and factual series that feature engaging characters and high stakes,\u201d says GRB\u2019s Lolato. The company has been enjoying success in Africa with the scripted series The Haves and the Have Nots<\/em> and Love Thy Neighbor<\/em>. \u201cFamily-driven celebrity docu-soaps like Braxton Family Values, Tamar & Vince <\/em>and The Houstons <\/em>have also been incredibly popular,\u201d adds Lolato. \u201cWe are also seeing an uptake of some of our grittier \u2018real-life\u2019 series such as Police Women of Dallas<\/em> as well as automotive and racing programs.\u201d<\/p>\n

For GMA Worldwide, family, romance and fantasy drama series dubbed into English have been the most widely requested types of programming in Africa. Titles recently sold in the region include Dyesebel<\/em>, Dangerous Love<\/em> and Until Forever<\/em>.<\/p>\n

The general consensus among distributors selling programming into Africa is that the future of the continent\u2019s television business is bright, with plenty of opportunities just around the corner.<\/p>\n

WHAT\u2019S NEXT?<\/strong>
\n\u201cAfrica is a dynamic, changing and rapidly expanding marketplace, with many creative people launching amazing new original series and formats,\u201d says GRB\u2019s Lolato. \u201cI believe that we will soon see Africa as the launching point for new original scripted dramas, comedies and never-before-seen formats. In addition, I think Africa will soon be a tremendous resource for co-production opportunities with networks and producers worldwide.\u201d<\/p>\n

Caracol\u2019s Orozco notes that while ready-made telenovelas will continue to thrive across the continent, some producers have shown they are capable of developing high-quality local content for the region. \u201cIn this way, I see a chance for collaboration,\u201d she says. \u201cWe have the know-how and good scripts, and, in fact, we have received some interest for the adaptation of our productions [recently], although nothing has been closed so far. Nevertheless, I reckon there is a good opportunity for Latin American drama formats in Africa.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hopes are high among distributors that the digital switchover in Africa goes smoothly so that viewers on the continent can continue to stay informed and entertained by the wide variety of programming that\u2019s currently available to them.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This article originally appeared in the MIPCOM 2014 issue of TV MEA. Distributors are finding demand for a cross section of genres from buyers across the African continent. From the scorching desert of the north to the snow-covered mountains of the south, Africa\u2019s media industry is as diverse as the continent\u2019s terrain. The majority of …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":479,"featured_media":1441,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[76],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1440","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","","category-features"],"yoast_head":"\nAfrican Allure<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"African Allure. Distributors are finding demand for a cross section of genres from buyers across the African continent.. 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