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Netflix Seeks Telco Partners to Unlock African Market

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With their well-established customer bases and online payment methods, operators could prove to be lynchpin partners in unlocking African markets for the streaming service.

Netflix Seeks Telco Partners to Unlock African Market

In recent months, Netflix has been strengthening its focus on Africa, both in terms of gaining new subscribers and diversifying its content.

Back in May, Netflix launched an initiative called ‘Made In Africa, Watched by the World’, which included the adding a large number of African shows, films, and documentaries to their portfolio.

“We want you to know that if you’re looking for the best African stories, then you will find them on Netflix. We are going to expand heavily to ensure that goal is met,” said Dorothy Ghettuba, Netflix head of Africa originals.

But more than just diversifying their video offerings, this also a process of proving the company’s renewed commitment to the African continent, supporting local film makers and creating content of interest to African consumers.

For a myriad of reasons, Africa has proved a very hard nut to crack for Netflix. For a company that has almost 200 million subscribers worldwide, only around 1.4 million of these are in Africa.

While there are many hurdles to overcome here, from pricing to internet access, Netflix firmly believes that premium video services can be profitable on the African continent; indeed, its continental rival, pay-TV firm Multichoice Group, currently boasts around 20 million subscribers in almost 50 African countries.

Multichoice also recently launched a direct streaming competitor to Netflix, called Showmax.

Recently, Neflix has expanded trials of mobile-only subscription plans in South Africa and Egypt to include additional African nations, including Nigeria, aiming to boost overall subscriptions.

This seems a sensible strategy; as a continent, Africa’s mobile penetration rate far exceeds that of fixed broadband, meaning for many potential customers mobile is the only way to access video streaming services.

Nonetheless, the cost of these plans, though far cheaper than a traditional subscription, still remains prohibitive. In Nigeria for example, the Netflix mobile subscription plan costs around $2.65 per month, while a classic subscription costs around $7.50.

However, the problem here becomes apparent when you consider that around 40% of the country’s almost 200 million people still live on less than $1 a month.

While mobile internet access is certainly rising in African countries – in Nigeria, it is expected to reach 101 million mobile internet users by 2021 – for now video streaming services remain out of reach for much of the population.

But an interesting solution could be found in the form of telco partnerships. With their existing subscriber bases, telcos offer a unique opportunity to for a company like Netflix to piggyback on their payment infrastructure, allowing customers to simply add the service to their connectivity bill.

Speaking to Reuters ahead of the company’s third-quarter results today, Ms Ghettuba noted that the company already has partnerships with Vodacom and Telkom South Africa, suggesting that the company was on the look out for further tie-ups.

“Given the low credit card penetration across the continent […] we have partnered with local telcos […] for their customers to be able to add Netflix subscriptions to their bills,” she said.

She noted that the company’s next African target market would be Kenya, meaning there could be opportunities on the cards for the likes of Safaricom, which currently dominates the Kenyan mobile market.

Netflix believes Africa is a continent on which its streaming services have a bright future and working closely with telcos could be the key to overcoming some of its major challenges. For now, however, the company will have to settle for expanding its video library until further deals come to light.


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MTN Launches One TV with Free-to-View, Pay-as-You-Go

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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.

MTN Launches One TV with Free-to-View, Pay-as-You-Go

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.

 


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IATA Drops Bombshell: Nigeria Among World’s Most Expensive Countries to Run an Airline

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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 Drops Bombshell: Nigeria Among World's Most Expensive Countries to Run an Airline

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.


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NASENI Trains 50 Women in Kano on Renewable Energy Technologies Under She-Powers Initiative

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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.

NASENI Trains 50 Women in Kano on Renewable Energy Technologies Under She-Powers 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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