Broadcasting
It’s Time for the Corporate Sector to Rethink Business Capital
By Hyther Nizam, President – MEA, Zoho Corp.
The vast majority of people associate capital with financial wealth. When economists discuss capital, they refer to the assets that enable improved productivity, which should lead to a higher standard of living. However, when corporate capital is defined purely in terms of monetary wealth, market capitalisation or sales, it invalidates other larger, longer-term goals and they tend to be ignored, or are eliminated. While numbers are significant, they are not the most important component of capital for a company’s long-term survival.
The real concept of capital encompasses far more than just a financial metric. Apart from financial wealth, business capital is about developing competencies and deep know-how, establishing roots and nurturing a shared culture, enhancing individual and community livelihoods, and making an impact at the local, regional, and national levels. The method allows businesses to see themselves as more than just profit generators, and to see themselves as part of a much larger picture.
Building skills and capabilities
In order to take this holistic approach, organisations should focus on building capabilities through continuous investment in R&D and skills development. Developing knowledge capital has to take precedence over getting product out to market as quickly as possible. While this might initially mean sacrificing on budgets for marketing and other secondary functions, the benefits become clearer in the long term. Additionally, building knowledge capital shows your clients that you are in it for the long haul, which engenders brand credibility and helps forge stronger connections with customers.
Building this strong knowledge base goes hand-in-hand with talent nurturing. But when looking for talent, most businesses still restrict themselves to a highly selective talent pool based on credentials and educational qualifications. Unfortunately, credentials do not always attest to a person’s true potential and capabilities.
Alternatively, when you remove formal education from your hiring requirements, you have access to a huge pool of untapped talent that’s waiting for an opportunity to be trained and developed. Taking in potential talent and upskilling them in-house with industry-ready expertise further contributes to stronger knowledge capital. Such initiatives, additionally, make it easier to evolve and pivot when necessary.
Enriching employees’ lives
It’s also important for businesses to remember that their employees are more than the output they produce during working hours. For employees to be their best version of themselves at work, organisations need to foster a sense of belonging that combines material and spiritual well-being. Good pay, perks, promotions, and in-office recreation centres may look good on paper, but they mean little if they aren’t combined with a sense of freedom, trust, patience, and acceptance. Employees also need to feel free to make mistakes and learn from them without being unduly penalised.
Most businesses, however, approach this idea of building an empowered human capital backward. They start with the goal of maintaining a low attrition rate and then try to analyse why employees leave. Rather, it’s necessary for businesses to ask themselves “what have we done to deserve the loyalty and commitment of our employees?” This reverses the focus from “why do people leave us?” to “why should they stay with us?”, and urges companies to be grateful and appreciative of employees who choose to stick with them over the years.
Developing a shared culture deep-rooted in a core set of principles
A company’s culture is its unique personality, which manifests in the form of strongly-held values, business ethics, and a common sense of purpose. Culture adds meaning to why businesses do what they do and also guides how they do it. Culture gives a clear, collective goal for teams to work towards, spiritedly. This cannot be achieved through maximising profits or developing quick win strategies; they seldom motivate people or encourage them to bond.
Ultimately, getting this right means fostering an awareness that no business is larger than life, and thinking more from the angle of how a business fits into the bigger picture. This helps ensure that the business understands the role it plays in society and how it can be a community asset as it balances impact with growth.
Focusing on long term capital with skills development
Rather than focusing on immediate returns, organisations should recognize the value of building long-term capital that encompasses all the above. Business leaders that understand the business continuity and value that comes with skill development, culture, and know-how building will prioritise laying down these fundamentals of durability. This in turn will enable companies to persevere for longer periods of time, build a positive legacy, and as a result, contribute more to community progress and socio-economic upliftment.
Spotify has announced a partnership with Afro Nation Portugal as the festival’s official sponsor and exclusive streaming partner for the 2026 edition, in a move aimed at bringing African music and festival experiences to a wider global audience.
The collaboration will provide fans with a dedicated Afro Nation destination on Spotify, featuring official festival playlists, participating artists and selected performance videos after the event.
The 2026 edition of Afro Nation Portugal is scheduled to hold from July 3 to July 5 in Portimão, Portugal.
Spotify said the partnership would enable fans to engage with the festival before, during and after the live event, regardless of their location.
The streaming platform noted that the initiative aligns with its continued investment in promoting African music and supporting its growing international audience.
Speaking on the partnership, Spotify’s Content Marketing Manager for Sub-Saharan Africa, Mr Rifumo Mdaka, described Afro Nation as a global showcase for African music and culture.
“Afro Nation is more than a festival; it is a global expression of African music, fan culture and creative influence.
“Our partnership is about helping that moment travel further through our first collaboration with Afro Nation of this nature.
“By bringing the festival to Spotify, we are giving fans a place to connect with the artists, performances and stories that define the festival long after the final set,” he said.
According to Spotify, the collaboration will also include exclusive festival content, artist discovery features, curated playlists and fan-focused storytelling.
The company said it would document the journey of a selected fan travelling to the festival as part of efforts to showcase the growing global appeal of African music.
Also speaking, Director of Global Partnerships at The Malachite Group and Afro Nation, Ms Clémence Blum, said the partnership represented a major step in expanding the festival’s global reach.
“Afro Nation has always been more than a festival. It is a platform built to celebrate African music, support artist breakthroughs and connect a global community through culture.
“Our partnership with Spotify reflects the shared role we both play in helping artists reach new audiences and giving fans deeper ways to engage with the music they love,” she said.
Spotify said selected live performances from the festival would be made available on the platform after the event, allowing fans around the world to relive the performances on demand.
The company added that the partnership reinforces its commitment to promoting African music, supporting artists and strengthening connections between creators and audiences across the globe.
Lebara Nigeria has announced the launch of Lebara Play, described as Africa’s first telecoms-owned micro-drama platform aimed at expanding opportunities for African storytellers and distributing local content to global audiences.
The company said the platform is designed to support creators by providing a new distribution channel for African narratives while making content accessible to both subscribers and non-subscribers worldwide.
Lebara Nigeria added that the platform will debut with an original production titled Imported Bahu, produced by Forever 7 and starring Osas Ighodaro.
The project is directed by Hamisha Daryani Ahuja, known for her work on Namaste Wahala, and is positioned as the first in a series of original content offerings.
According to the company, Lebara Play is built to serve both creators and audiences, with a focus on showcasing African stories to a global market and strengthening the continent’s growing digital entertainment ecosystem.
Speaking on the company’s vision at the launch, Teniola Stuffman, chief executive officer, Lebara Nigeria, said the organisation was focused on building a telecommunications ecosystem that combined innovation, connectivity, and customer-centric digital experiences.
Stuffman said, “This platform represents an important step in our vision of building a telecommunications brand that delivers more than connectivity. We are creating an ecosystem where technology, innovation, and entertainment come together to provide meaningful experiences for customers while unlocking new opportunities for creative talent and content development across Africa.”
Beyond entertainment, she said, industry stakeholders believed the initiative demonstrated how global telecommunications expertise could be adapted to local market realities.
“Drawing from decades of experience across multiple international markets, Lebara is expected to introduce additional innovative services aimed at enhancing convenience, engagement, and value for Nigerian consumers,” she said.
Stuffman added that the company’s strategy reflected growing recognition that today’s telecom customers demanded more than network access, pointing out that consumers increasingly seek brands that offer seamless digital experiences, personalised services, and access to content that enriches everyday life.
Stuffman stated that LebaraPlay also aligned with the company’s commitment to supporting Africa’s creative economy by creating new distribution channels for content creators, producers, and digital storytellers.
“Through a combination of original productions and strategic partnerships, the platform seeks to create opportunities for talent while delivering quality entertainment to audiences,” she said.
Hamisha Daryani, founder of Forever7 Entertainment, expressed excitement over the partnership with Lebara Nigeria and the premiere of her latest micro-drama series on the LebaraPlay platform.
She stated that Lebara’s customer-centric vision aligns closely with the values of Forever7 Entertainment, making the collaboration a natural fit for both organisations.
Daryani revealed that the new microdrama featured a star-studded cast drawn from both Bollywood and Nollywood, in a compelling romantic story designed specifically for mobile audiences.
According to her, the production is developed with mobile-first consumers in mind, delivering premium entertainment in short, engaging formats at an affordable cost.
“Microdrama, which typically consists of short episodes of about three minutes, is redefining how audiences consume entertainment. It offers a convenient, immersive, and affordable viewing experience for people who increasingly access content through their mobile devices,” she said.
She added that the platform was created to support seamless creative expression while providing new opportunities for content creators across the continent.
Daryani further explained that the microdrama format has already achieved significant success in Asia and the Americas and is now gaining traction across Africa.
She said the initiative would create opportunities for emerging creatives through knowledge sharing, skills development, content curation, and industry collaboration, with the Nigerian rollout of the featured series expected to commence in July.
Broadcasting
CANAL+ Partners Samsung to Pre-Load DStv Stream on New Samsung TVs In Nigeria, Other African Countries
Following an expanded partnership between CANAL+ and Samsung Electronics, the DStv Stream app will now be pre-installed on new Samsung Smart TVs sold in Nigeria and 17 other African countries.
The agreement covers English and Portuguese-speaking African markets, including Nigeria, Kenya, Angola, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe and South Africa. It marks the first pre-installation rollout of a MultiChoice Group streaming application on Samsung Smart TVs.
The development comes after the completion of the combination between CANAL+ and MultiChoice Group. It also extends an existing relationship between both companies that already spans 40 markets across Europe, French-speaking Africa, and Asia.
Through the integration, Samsung customers can now access DStv Stream directly from the television home screen. The app provides access to premium sports and entertainment content, including coverage of the FIFA World Cup 2026, English Premier League football, domestic and international rugby, and local and international television programming.
With the introduction of this connected television which kicked off on June 1, televisions can now connect to the internet, allowing users to stream content directly without requiring a separate decoder or satellite dish. The pre-installation of the app removes the need for users to search for and download it themselves, reducing friction and improving content discoverability.
The rollout is one of the first major distribution initiatives following the integration of CANAL+ and MultiChoice. The combined group has identified streaming growth and enhanced digital distribution as key priorities across Africa, where connected television adoption continues to increase.
David Mignot, CEO of CANAL+ Africa and CEO of MultiChoice Group, affirmed, “We are delighted to extend our longstanding partnership with Samsung across new English and Portuguese-speaking African countries. It marks a significant milestone in the synergies created by the combination of CANAL+ and MultiChoice Group.
“Mignot added, “As viewing habits continue to evolve rapidly across the continent, strengthening the accessibility and discoverability of our content offer on connected devices is key. By expanding the availability of our applications on Samsung Smart TVs across key African markets, we are making it even easier for millions of MultiChoice Group’s subscribers to seamlessly access the content that define the uniqueness of the CANAL+ and MultiChoice Group experience.”
This extended partnership is expected to strengthen Samsung’s position as a key distribution partner for streaming services globally while providing CANAL+ and MultiChoice with a broader route to market as competition intensifies among international and regional streaming platforms across Africa.
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