iflix, the world’s leading Subscription Video on Demand (SVoD) service for emerging markets, and Econet Media’s Pan-African media company Kwesé, today announced the establishment of their partnership to bring the very best in streaming entertainment services to sub-Saharan Africa.
The collaboration will leverage off the region’s rapid increase in smartphone penetration and growing consumer demand for premium quality entertainment. iflix Africa and Econet Media have committed extensive resources with local and international expertise in mobile entertainment to capitalize on the opportunity to serve Africa’s diverse markets. The companies share a mutual passion for innovation, along with a deep understanding of the culture and evolution of digital businesses.
At launch, iflix Africa will offer consumers throughout the region unlimited access to an extensive range of TV shows, movies and more, including many first-run exclusives and award-winning programs. The service will include the best of Hollywood, Nollywood, regional and local programs, over 2,000 episodes of children’s content, as well as an extensive collection of highly acclaimed locally commissioned African series and movies exclusive to iflix Africa.
Multi-platform broadcaster Kwesé has already demonstrated its commitment to investing in the future of media and technology in Africa through its pay-tv, Free-to-Air, mobile and digital services. The company plans to drive innovation across its pan-African network to create the world’s best entertainment and online experiences for consumers across the continent.
The strategic collaboration will benefit from and leverage off Econet Media’s established market expertise in conjunction with the learnings iflix acquired in consolidating its dominance throughout Asia and MENA. As part of the partnership with Econet Group, iflix Africa will soon make its world-class video-on-demand service available in Zimbabwe to Econet Wireless mobile subscribers.
Regional Head of iflix Africa, Andre de Wet said: “This collaboration represents an incredibly momentous step in iflix’s growth story as we launch in Africa with a partner who shares our vision and commitment to deliver an outstanding service and unrivaled experience for our customers. We are very excited about the deal and what it means for our customers and shareholders in the future.”
Econet Media President and group CEO, Joseph Hundah remarked: “As a next-generation African media company our aim is to play a central role in the evolution of the media industry on the continent. Critical to this is partnering with best-of-breed companies to bring cutting-edge content and services to Africa. This is a significant addition to our multi-platform content distribution model which delivers the very best content to African viewers.”
Kwesé’s multi-platform offering is currently accessible throughout the continent across a number of touch-points, these include: pay-tv service Kwese TV, Africa’s largest free-to-air channel Kwese Free Sports, and its digital platforms i.e. KweseESPN.com and mobile TV through the Kwese App.
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Currently available to over one billion consumers in 18 markets across Asia and MENA, iflix will soon launch its world class service across sub-Saharan Africa with initial launches in Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Tanzania and Zimbabwe. Each subscription will allow users to access the service on up to five devices, including phones, laptops, tablets, and television sets, for viewing whenever, wherever.
