18 MIP Africa Poised to Remedy a Region Under TV Stress “The African TV market is dead at the moment,” stated Chevonne O’Shaughnessy, founder and CEO of American Cinema Inspires, a Los Angelesbased film producer and international distributor, who is very familiar with the African entertainment market. She explained: “No TV is buying. M-Net, the big channel, was bought by Canal+ and everything is on hold. The tax incentive they had has stopped so no one is going to make movies. People in Africa are hoping that the tax credit will start again in November. However, there are a lot of producers who have not yet been [compensated].” Martin Hiller, Portfolio director of FAME Week, which organizes MIP Africa in Cape Town, South Africa, set for October 28-30, 2026, took issue with O’Shaughnessy’s statement, and explained how MIP Africa will be able to address her issues, as well as help exhibitors. “It is fair to say that the African film and television industry is navigating a challenging period, particularly in South Africa, where commissioning has slowed and uncertainty around the film incentive has affected production confidence,” said Hiller. However, he “would strongly challenge the suggestion that ‘the African market is dead’ or that nobody is buying or producing.” Hiller also explained that “concerns are justified” with regard to the South African film and television incentive. “The delays and outstanding payments have put significant pressure on producers and have affected confidence in South Africa as a production destination. However, I would be careful about saying that the incentive has ended or that it will simply ‘restart in November.’ The situation is evolving, and any claims around a specific restart date should be based on the latest official Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (DTIC) position rather than industry speculation.” In addition, Hiller “would describe what we are experiencing as a market in transition, not a market in collapse. Commissioning is more cautious, financing models are changing, and producers are having to work harder to put projects together. But at the same time, a R300 million [U.S.$18.73 million] international feature is shooting in South Africa, Canal+/MultiChoice/StudioCanal are actively seeking new African dramas, and an African financial institution is spearheading a film fund of up to U.S.$1 billion. That is why FAME Week Africa is particularly important right now,” said Hiller. “In a changing market, producers need access to new sources of finances, commissioners, buyers, distributors, and international partners. We want FAME Week Africa to be the market where fresh, commercially bankable African projects are discovered, where new partnerships are formed and, ultimately, where African content gets commissioned, financed, and sold.” Ettore Botta, president, Pasadena, California-based SpaceWoW, also sees some positive developments in the African TV market coming from France and China. “The South African government ultimately greenlit the takeover of South African broadcaster MultiChoice by the French media giant Canal+, creating a combined pan-African media ecosystem with nearly 50 million customers,” said Botta. “In addition, StarTimes, a Chinese multinational firm, provides affordable digital television services widely across Sub-Saharan Africa. The demand for culturally relevant local (African) programming is at an all-time high. Markets like Nigeria are fueling major creator economies, with local Nollywood-native platforms and independent producers bypassing traditional pure-SVoD models in favor of hybrid pricing and cinema-first releases,” he said. “A surge in mobile connectivity, local content production, and major corporate consolidation has contributed to the rapid expansion of the African Television and VoD market, expected to reach $97.42 billion in 2026.” However, Botta cautioned that “two major transnational powerhouses (Canal+ and StarTimes) control over 70 percent of the continent’s pay-TV subscriber base, making the subscription pay-TV sector operate largely as an oligopoly. The remaining 30 percent is highly fragmented with some four operators: Azam, Zuku TV, beIN Sports, and MBC. Plus, subscription video-on-demand (SVoD) faces monetization hurdles due to rising living costs and limited disposable incomes. As a result, ad-supported video-on-demand MIP Africa takes place at the Cape Town International Convention Center (Continued on Page 20) “We want FAME Week Africa to be the market where fresh, commercially bankable African projects are discovered, where new partnerships are formed and, ultimately, where African content gets commissioned, financed, and sold.” — Martin Hiller, Portfolio director, FAME Week Africa Martin Hiller, Portfolio director, FAME Week Africa VIDEOAGE October 2026 Territories
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