African-made dramas are becoming a key battleground in the streaming wars, with Showmax and Netflix vying for dominance in a market projected to have hundreds of millions of young, tech-savvy consumers. Showmax's new series 'Youngins', set in a South African boarding school, exemplifies the strategy of leveraging local authenticity to attract subscribers.
'I would describe the show as captivating, relatable, authentic, fun, funny and fresh - but like South African fresh,' says Kealeboga Masango, who plays the head girl. Director Themba Mfebe adds: 'We really go deep into the different cultures of South Africa... it feels like my neighbour's kid, my sister's kid.' The show features South African languages and aims to reflect local realities.
Showmax, owned by MultiChoice, is ramping up production with 21 new original African shows, targeting 50 million consumers by 2028. CEO Marc Jury states: 'Our ambition is to be the number one streaming platform in Africa.' Meanwhile, Netflix has invested $175m in South Africa, Nigeria and Kenya since 2016, and its acquisition 'The Black Book' became the first Nigerian film to reach number three on its global charts.
However, challenges remain, including limited broadband access, high data costs, and internet piracy. Ivan Biljan of UniqCast notes: 'There are not too many flat rate plans and a single movie consumes quite a lot of data.' Despite this, he is optimistic about Africa's potential, citing a future wave of 400-500 million young consumers.
Showmax is partnering with NBCUniversal, Sky, and MTN South Africa to improve streaming technology and offer data bundles. Over the next 12 months, it plans to launch over 1,300 hours of original programming, including the anticipated series 'Red Ink' and crime drama 'Catch Me a Killer'.
