Tag: Streaming

Conventional wisdom has it that the story of Africa’s digital economy is one of catch-up. But that narrative is giving way to a more dynamic truth: in Sub-Saharan Africa, mobile phones have become the front door to digital life, shaped by mobile content, mobile payments and local innovation.

Long-time internet users might remember the days of dial-up connections. Every line speed upgrade brought a noticeable difference. Fast forward to today, and that feeling of improvement with each upgrade is often missing. Why is that the case? This is where it becomes necessary to understand the differences between capacity and throughput, along with evolving connectivity needs at home and in the workplace.

Once upon a primetime, advertising had its place. It was neatly slotted between soapies on TV or nestled between the pages of your favourite magazine. Sure, it interrupted, but in a predictable, acceptable, run-of-the-mill kinda way. Then the internet age arrived. Along with it came borderless content and collapsing licensing windows.

The past two financial years brought significant financial disruption across sub-Saharan Africa. Economies, corporates, and consumers faced sustained pressure due to challenging macro-economic factors. Structural changes in the video entertainment industry further compounded this disruption.

Many once assumed that Africa would remain on the fringes of the global music economy. The continent would export talent but never truly command its own industry. However, that notion was firmly silenced recently.

The TV licence system is on life support. Less than 20% of South Africans with a licence actually pay. The costs of chasing payments often outweigh the revenue collected. People simply don’t see value in funding a public broadcaster anymore. They have an endless stream of content available elsewhere. That said, the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) still matters.

The Africa’s entertainment and media industry is expected to outpace global growth in the next five years, driven by internet advertising and streaming services.

Following its launch on the Samsung Galaxy S24 series in January 2024, Galaxy AI has ushered in the next level of performance and functionality on Samsung’s latest foldable devices, the Galaxy Z Fold6 and Z Flip6. Both powered by the Snapdragon® 8 Gen 3 Mobile Platform for Galaxy, optimised for AI processing and overall performance improvements.

MultiChoice Group (MCG), Africa’s leading entertainment company, returned its Rest of Africa business to profitability and further expanded its consumer services ecosystem during the year ended 31 March 2023 (FY23).

Fast internet throughout South Africa is key to many benefits, including the ability to work remotely in remote areas, increased access to education and technology, and more.