iflix Partners Kwesé for SVOD Launch in Sub-Saharan Africa

iflix is a subscription video-on-demand service focused on emerging markets. Started in Asia and recently expanded to the Middle East, iflix announced last month plans to bring its services to Africa. The site serves as a digital hosting and distribution platform for Western and Asian dramas obtained through partnerships with over 150 studios and content distributors globally including Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Disney, Warner Bros, Paramount, NBC Universal, Fox, CBS, BBC, Sony Pictures and Discovery. As of May 2017, iflix has more than 5 million subscribers across its service.

Kwesé TV is a pay-as-you-watch satellite TV service, offering over 50 channels of world-class entertainment. Currently Kwesé TV (as a satellite pay-TV service) is only available in Rwanda, Zambia, Ghana,  Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia, Malawi, Botswana, Namibia, Lesotho, Swaziland and Nigeria with more African countries to follow soon. Viewers in other countries can stream Kwesé TV on a device, or catch Kwesé Free Sports on free-to-air TV.

Now here is the news: Video-On-Demand (VoD) service iflix and Econet Media’s African media company Kwese announced a partnership to bring streaming entertainment services to sub-Saharan Africa. Started in Asia and recently expanded to the Middle East, iflix announced last month plans to bring its services to Africa. It will leverage Kwese’s experience in the video market to support the launch of its streaming service in Zimbabwe and across Africa.

According to iflix, the partnership will focus on targeting the growing base of smartphone users in Africa along with growing consumer demand for premium quality entertainment.

At launch, iflix Africa will offer consumers throughout the region unlimited access to an extensive range of TV show and movies. The service will include the best of Hollywood, Nollywood, regional and local programs, over 2,000 episodes of children’s content, as well as an extensive collection of locally commissioned African series and movies exclusive to iflix Africa.

The collaboration will leverage Econet Media’s established market expertise, and iflix Africa will make its  video-on-demand service available in Zimbabwe to Econet Wireless mobile subscribers. Other markets targeted for the initial phase of launches include Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya and Tanzania. Kwese’s multi-platform offering is accessible throughout the continent across the pay-TV service Kwese TV, free-to-air channel Kwese Free Sports, KweseESPN.com and mobile TV through the Kwese app.

Regional Head of iflix Africa, Andre de Wet said:

“This collaboration represents an incredibly momentous step in iflix’s growth story as we launch in Africa with a partner who shares our vision and commitment to deliver an outstanding service and unrivaled experience for our customers. We are very excited about the deal and what it means for our customers and shareholders in the future.”

Econet Media President and Group CEO Joseph Hundah said: 

“As a next-generation African media company our aim is to play a central role in the evolution of the media industry on the continent. Critical to this is partnering with best-of-breed companies to bring cutting-edge content and services to Africa. This is a significant addition to our multi-platform content distribution model which delivers the very best content to African viewers.”

iflix, which operates in 18 markets has previously created a joint venture for the Middle East with Kuwait telco Zain, opened an office in Cape Town as its first step in Africa in June.

Kwesé currently offers pay TV service Kwesé TV, free-to-air channel Kwesé Free sports, digital platform KweséESPN.com and a mobile TV service in a number of markets.

The company debuted its DTH service across Ghana, Rwanda and Zambia earlier this year, the first stage of a planned phased rollout across the continent.