By AFP
09 May 2024 ย | ย 1:43 pm
Online streaming giant Netflix says it is investing in Africa to help new talent emerge and to tell stories that make an impact locally but also resonate with audiences abroad.
(FILES) In this file photo taken on October 19, 2021 the Netflix logo is seen on the Netflix, Inc. building on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles, California. โ Netflix on November 2, 2021 released a set of mobile games playable for free by subscribers of the global streaming service as it strives to be the go-to venue for entertainment. (Photo by Robyn Beck / AFP)
Online streaming giant Netflix says it is investing in Africa to help new talent emerge and to tell stories that make an impact locally but also resonate with audiences abroad.
Well-crafted local stories are โa major opportunityโ, Netflixโs Africa and Middle East content vice president Ben Amadasun told AFP, on the sidelines of the Forbes Under 30 Summit Africa in the Botswanan capital Gaborone this week.
Increased investment in local content creation by international players is key for local industries to flourish, he said.
People in and from Africa โdeserve to see themselves, their lives, their cultures, their languages and their countries reflected on screenโ, he added.
If the production is loved locally, it has a better chance of global success, Amadasun said.
Netflix has bet on diversifying its production in recent years, with series such as Spanish hit โMoney Heistโ and the South Korean dystopian drama โSquid Gameโ.
South Africaโs โBlood and Waterโ also enjoyed major global success as the first show from the country to reach number one in the United States.
The showโs star Ama Qamata was also present in Gaborone as one of those featured on the 2024 Africa Forbes 30 under 30 list of the continentโs most impactful young people.
South African thriller โHeart of the Hunterโ, Nigeriaโs โThe Black Bookโ and โYoung, Famous and Africanโ are other African titles that have enjoyed major success.
Netflix announced last year that it planned to expand operations on the continent.
It will include โdirect training and skills development on our productions as well as scholarship programmes and masterclasses that support the younger generationโ in developing their projects, Amadasun said.
He added that Netflix had an โexcitingโ lineup of African content set to premiere in the coming months.
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Online streaming giant Netflix says it is investing in Africa to help new talent emerge and to tell stories that make an impact locally but also resonate with audiences abroad.
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