By Abdi Ali
Published February 21, 2018
An entertainment service for emerging markets and a pan-African media company have partnered with a view to strengthening streaming or subscription video on demand (SVOD) service across sub-Saharan Africa.
iflix that is touted as being the world’s leading entertainment service for emerging markets and Kwesé that is owned by Econet Media have announce an expansion of their partnership in sub-Saharan Africa.
iflix, that operates in Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya and South Africa, says “Kwesé has acquired a significant stake in iflix Africa which will now form part of Kwesé’s diverse broadcast offering, as the core vehicle to deliver seamless mobile experiences to millions of viewers in Africa.”
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iflix says it offers users in sub-Saharan Africa the “most extensive collection of highly acclaimed local African and international series and movies, including first-to-market exclusive programming. This, in partnership with Kwesé’s broadcast operations and footprint, will create an exceptional mobile offering for consumers on the continent.”
“We are thrilled to deepen our operating partnership with iflix to lead the transformation of media in Africa,” says Strive Masiyiwa, Founder and Executive Chairman of Econet Group. “Our companies share a mutual passion for innovation, along with a deep understanding of the culture and evolution of digital businesses. Mobility in content consumption has grown exponentially in Africa and by partnering with iflix Africa we are ensuring that we are not only taking part in the evolution, but are leading the movement.”
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On his part, Mark Britt, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of iflix Group, says of the development, “The strengthening of our relationship with Econet Group is a huge milestone for iflix. Following the initial phase of building our business in Africa, we have seen tremendous growth across our operating markets, far exceeding our expectations. Econet’s deep experience and success in media and telecoms, will be a huge advantage and enable us to continue to grow rapidly.”
The deal, announced in a Press Release issued in Johannesburg, South Africa, is said to be cementing “Kwesé’s commitment to deliver premium content through unrivalled TV programming, leading sports, up-to-the-minute news and the latest in entertainment. This coupled with iflix’s vast collection of international and African SVOD content, will offer users an unparalleled viewing experience, tailored to meet the needs of Africa’s diverse markets.”
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Kwesé is reported to be available in 13 countries with its ground-breaking pay-as-you-watch Pay-TV service, and has built the largest pan-African free-to-air broadcast network showcasing Kwesé Free Sport in over 25 countries. The operating partnership will see iflix drive Kwesé’s go-to-market mobile delivery in each of its territories.