A Global Screen Vision from the South

As the global community grapples with the Covid-19 situation, we must all look locally, whilst thinking globally. Covid-19 has fast-tracked the global move of audiences online, and crippled the cinema-going experience, at least for the moment.

The film and television industries are truly global now. The mega-platforms – Netflix, Amazon, Apple, Disney, and all the other majors – are deep in a battle for Business-to-Consumer (B2C) eyeballs. A film produced anywhere in the world – even in Mauritius or Seychelles – can be seen by a truly massive global audience.

The international box-office is larger than America’s and China is poised to become the largest industry in the world. And no niche is irrelevant these days. Some of the most popular shows are not Western in origin.

The African entertainment market presents tremendous potential for expansion. With over 1 billion people and a massive youth audience, Africa is the last so-called untapped market-place for the new media industries.

Our audiences are hungry for local content, which is completely under-served. Content will continue to be produced. Therefore, the need for skilled people will continue to grow.