Online streaming giant Netflix has said that it plans to expand operations in Africa, saying its $175m (£140m) investment on the continent since 2016 has already created some hit shows.
The announcement was made at an event in Johannesburg where Netflix launched a report on its impact in South Africa, Nigeria and Kenya.
According to the report, the company has created 12,000 jobs on the continent and intends to build on this success beyond just three countries.
“We have undertaken this report to reflect on Netflix’s social and economic impact in the key countries," Netflix's sub-Saharan Africa policy director, Shola Sanni, said in its introduction.
"We are still in many ways at the inception stages of our investment journey, so it’s doubly exciting to know that we are poised to deliver even greater impact if we maintain our current momentum - and if the right circumstances for investments in our sector continue to prevail."
She pointed to African productions like Silverton Siege (South African), Aníkúlápó (Nigerian) and Disconnect: The Wedding Planner (Kenyan) as all having at one point made it into Netflix Global Top 10 lists.
However to keep telling African stories on a global stage, Netflix needed to have the support of “governments, civil society, private sector and industry” to allow the create industries to thrive, Ms Sanni said.
“Enabling policy frameworks, flexible regulatory mandates and ease of doing business are inextricably bound to the continued growth of the audio-visual sector and streaming services.”
Latest Stories
-
Change is the only constant – Sam Jonah urges graduates to embrace AI
1 hour -
Usyk beats Fury via split decision to become undisputed heavyweight champion
1 hour -
‘Heroism is not exclusive to men’ – Sir Sam Jonah calls for gender parity in leadership
1 hour -
Sam Jonah’s graduation address highlights role of youth in overcoming global issues
2 hours -
Ghana offers African Americans a path to healing and reconnection – Sam Jonah
2 hours -
Raymond Anokye Asante scores brace as Udinese U19s beat Napoli on penalties
2 hours -
GPL: Berekum Chelsea come from behind to beat Asante Kotoko
3 hours -
CAF African Schools Football Championship finals 2024 to be staged in Zanzibar
3 hours -
Ghana’s Emmanuel Dogbevi honoured with prestigious African Capacity Building Foundation Award
4 hours -
Chelsea win fifth straight title as Hayes signs off in style
4 hours -
AAFCON 2024: Black Challenge players leave for Egypt to defend title
4 hours -
MTN Ghana celebrates World Telecommunication Day with a renewed commitment to digital innovation
4 hours -
Leverkusen make Bundesliga history by ending season unbeaten
4 hours -
Pan African Media Lawyers Union launched to safeguard journalists’ rights at 3rd African Media Convention
4 hours -
Defe Defe: A ‘Testimony’ that Ghanaian gospel music can lead too – A Review
5 hours