Broadcasting
AfricaMagic: Africa Channel for Africans

In 2003, just months after the very first Big Brother Africa production revolutionized reality television, pioneering a new experience for TV audiences across the continent, M-Net launched another initiative, one destined to change both the company’s legacy and its future forever.
On December 1, the AfricaMagic channel was born on DStv!
Envisioned as a dedicated channel made in Africa, for Africans by Africans, the very first of its kind, the channel quickly caught the attention of viewers in East, West and Central Africa from the moment it went live.
First designed as a 6-hour channel, the enormous demand for the homegrown content it offered saw the channel develop at a rapid rate, exceeding all the expectations of its creators.
It continued, unstoppable, to expand both its screening hours and its footprint with Southern African audiences gaining access to the channel just three months later. And when AfricaMagic was launched in South Africa in July 2004, the move brought its proudly African programming to an impressive 41 countries.
With the dynamic heart of African filmmaking, Nollywood, producing dozens of titles monthly and with an already comprehensive library of movies waiting to be showcased, AfricaMagic was perfectly positioned to take these properties to wider African audiences who were just awakening to the power of Nollywood’s frenetic production schedule and its rising stars.
Timing, strategy and the age-old principle of supply and demand coincided almost immediately and a new brand began rising to prominence.
Five years later, having established one of the fast-growing and most recognizable names in Africa, the channel opened another chapter in its story, exploring a new opportunity. In June 2008, the AfricaMagic Plus channel made its debut on DStv. Packaging programming from East and Southern Africa, the channel joined its successful sister in quickly becoming a force to be reckoned with.
But the story was just gaining momentum. In March 2010, AfricaMagic grew once more and, once again, the brand made history.
This time, M-Net simultaneously launched not one but two dedicated AfricaMagic channels in the languages of two of Nigeria’s largest communities.
AfricaMagic Hausa and Yoruba debuted on DStv channels 117 and 118 respectively, each running 12 hours daily. With sub-titles available in English, the channels were also seen throughout East, West and Central Africa.
They too quickly became popular to audiences who had long desired a dedicated television destination in the languages of their homes.
Then, little over a year later with two English language channels and two African language channels screening African programs to the continent’s increasingly enthusiastic audiences,
M-Net moved forward again, this time focusing on one of Africa’s oldest and most beautiful languages.
Launched to widespread commercial and critical acclaim, AfricaMagic Swahili made its appearance on DStv channel 127 on the 1st of July 2011. Broadcast to a range of Swahili speaking countries including Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Burundi, Congo and the DRC, AfricaMagic Swahili continues to grow its fan base as audiences embrace both its line-up and its message of keeping Africa’s powerful languages alive.
Having launched 5 channels in just 8 years, which are now seen in 47 countries on the continent, in 4 different languages, it would be hard to dispute that the AfricaMagic brand has developed into one of the most innovative television brands in Africa.
Now its challenge and the challenge to M-Net, the company that dreamed it into existence, is to evolve AfricaMagic so that it continues to reflect the identity of the viewers who show their appreciation by tuning in daily, the producers who support it with their compelling work and of course, the Afro-hip generation who adore it for being so true to what they want Africa to be bold, fresh and forward-thinking; proud of its past, excited by the possibilities of tomorrow.
Broadcasting
MTN Launches One TV with Free-to-View, Pay-as-You-Go

MTN Group has begun rolling out MTN One TV, a new entertainment proposition designed to make digital video content more accessible, relevant, and flexible for customers across African markets.

Introduced in line with MTN’s Ambition 2030 strategy, MTN One TV brings together local storytelling, live channels, international programming, and market-specific viewing options tailored to how customers across the continent access and pay for digital entertainment.
The proposition is designed to give customers greater choice in how they watch content, with viewing models that may vary by market and can include free-to-view content, advertising-funded experiences, pay-as-you-watch access, and subscription offerings.
Depending on local availability, customers may also be able to pay through airtime, Mobile Money, and other locally supported payment methods, helping to reduce common barriers to streaming access.
Beyond enhancing customer experiences, MTN One TV creates new opportunities for African creators, broadcasters, advertisers, and ecosystem partners by helping connect content to wider audiences through MTN’s scale across connectivity, payments, and digital services.
By bringing together a broad mix of content experiences under a single proposition, MTN aims to support greater content discovery, broader audience reach, and sustainable growth across Africa’s digital entertainment ecosystem.
Anchored in MTN’s strategic platforms of Connectivity, Fintech, and Digital Infrastructure, MTN One TV forms part of the Group’s broader ambition to build digital experiences that create value for customers while enabling participation and growth across Africa’s digital economy.
“Entertainment is increasingly becoming an important gateway to digital participation,” said Selorm Adadevoh, MTN group chief commercial, strategy and transformation officer.
“Through MTN One TV, we are leveraging the scale of our connectivity, fintech, and digital capabilities to make relevant content more accessible while creating new opportunities for Africa’s creative and digital economies. This is aligned with our ambition to deliver digital solutions for Africa’s progress.”
MTN One TV is being introduced progressively across MTN markets through a phased rollout approach that reflects local market needs, existing services, and partnership opportunities.
Over time, MTN will bring together a combination of video capabilities, content partnerships, and customer experiences under the MTN One TV brand to create a more consistent and scalable entertainment proposition across its footprint.
Through MTN One TV, MTN continues to extend its role beyond connectivity by combining entertainment, payments, and digital services to deliver experiences tailored to the needs of African consumers.
The rollout supports MTN’s Ambition 2030 vision of leading digital solutions for Africa’s progress while expanding access to digital entertainment across the continent.
Broadcasting
IATA Drops Bombshell: Nigeria Among World’s Most Expensive Countries to Run an Airline

International Air Transport Association (IATA) has identified Nigeria as one of the most expensive countries in the world for airline operations, citing high taxes, charges and operational costs that continue to weigh heavily on local carriers.

IATA’s Regional Vice President for Africa and the Middle East, Kamil Al-Awadhi, disclosed this during the association’s Annual General Meeting held in Rio de Janeiro.
Al-Awadhi said that although Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, had been pursuing reforms aimed at improving the aviation sector, airlines operating in the country still faced enormous cost pressures.
According to him, the high-cost operating environment has continued to affect the profitability and competitiveness of Nigerian airlines, making it difficult for the industry to realise its full potential.
He noted that excessive taxes, regulatory charges and other operating expenses remained major obstacles to airline growth across the region, with Nigeria ranking among the most challenging markets from a cost perspective.
Al-Awadhi urged member states of the Economic Community of West African States to adopt a proposed 25 per cent reduction in aviation taxes and charges to ease the burden on airlines and passengers.
According to him, lowering taxes and charges would reduce airfares, stimulate passenger traffic and strengthen the competitiveness of carriers operating within West Africa.
He stressed that a more supportive policy environment was critical to unlocking the economic benefits of aviation, including increased trade, tourism and regional integration.
Industry stakeholders have consistently advocated lower taxes and regulatory fees, arguing that the current cost structure makes air travel less affordable and limits the growth of the sector.
IATA’s latest remarks add to calls for governments in West Africa to implement policies that will promote a more sustainable and competitive aviation industry across the region.
Broadcasting
NASENI Trains 50 Women in Kano on Renewable Energy Technologies Under She-Powers Initiative

The National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), under the leadership of its Executive Vice Chairman/CEO, Khalil Suleiman Halilu, has trained 50 women in Kano State on inverter and battery technologies through its She-Powers Energy Initiative.

The three-day programme, held at the Technology Incubation Centre, Farm Centre, Kano which ended yesterday, was designed to equip participants with practical renewable energy skills, promote women-led enterprises, and enhance sustainable livelihoods.
The initiative forms part of NASENI’s broader commitment to empowering women, creating economic opportunities, and expanding participation in Nigeria’s growing clean energy sector. It also aligns with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu by supporting job creation, entrepreneurship, and inclusive economic development.
Through targeted interventions such as the She-Powers Energy Initiative, NASENI continues to demonstrate its commitment to leveraging technology and innovation to improve lives and drive sustainable development across the country.
Photos: Participants at the She-Powers Energy Initiative training organised by the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) held at the the Technology Incubation Centre, Farm Centre, Kano yesterday.
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