Description

The panel session, “The Content Streaming Game In Africa: What Is Viable, What Is Not And How To Win At It,” at the Broadcasters Convention – Southern Africa 2025, centered on the necessity for pragmatic adaptation over simply adopting global streaming models in the African context. The core message was that winning requires deep localisation, strategic partnerships, and flexible pricing to overcome connectivity and income hurdles.

The discussion mapped out the practical necessities for streaming success in Africa. Viability is rooted in local content relevance and mobile-first, accessible delivery. Conversely, models that rely too heavily on Western pricing structures or imported international catalogues are deemed not viable due to poor retention rates and high content licensing costs. The path to winning is through an ecosystem approach that integrates local production with infrastructure and payment partners.

Some key points from the resource include:

● Local Content is King: Platforms must prioritize content that mirrors African culture, language, and aspirations (e.g., local dramas, comedy).
● Mobile Dominance: Over 80% of users are mobile, making low-bandwidth streaming efficiency and integration with mobile money billing critical.
● Hybrid Monetisation Works: Blending Ad-supported Video on Demand (AVOD) with low-cost tiers or micro-subscriptions is better than pure SVOD at high prices.
● Partnerships are Essential: Collaboration with Telcos/ISPs for data plans and infrastructure is necessary; going it alone is costly.