Broadcasting
Why is Localisation Crucial for Breaking into New Markets?
By Hyther Nizam, President – MEA, Zoho Corp.
Nigeria has the largest market in Africa with a GDP standing at $514.05 billion in 2021 and a population of over 200 million people. The business scene in Nigeria is faced with many challenges and the survival of any business in this market is dependent on the adoption of successful strategies.
One successful strategy for businesses entering the Nigerian market is localisation. A strong long-term localisation strategy will help in establishing a presence among locals, earning their trust and eventually building brand loyalty.
It is equally critical, however, for businesses to understand that localisation entails more than just providing pricing in local currencies. Instead, it has to be a holistic approach that involves customers, employees, and other relevant stakeholders.
Understanding localisation
Before digging into why localisation is so important and how to undertake it successfully, let’s discuss what it actually means. Localisation refers to the adaptation of a product or a marketing strategy to meet the needs of a specific locale through language, culture, or other relevant factors.
Localisation can be achieved in a number of ways. For example, a product company can offer a local language user experience (UX) and provide vernacular customer support. However, if a company simply uses a translation tool that doesn’t take into account local nuances, such a localisation attempt will create a negative brand perception.
On the other hand, a holistic approach can have major benefits for a business, including easier entry into new markets, increased customer satisfaction and brand loyalty, and ultimately improved revenue.
Beyond translation
Making your product or service available in the local language and providing support are the first few steps towards localisation. There are other considerations you should make too.
For example, if you have an online offering, when you localise it to right-to-left (RTL) languages such as Hebrew, Persian, and Arabic, you should also enable a right-to-left oriented UX layout for better user experience.
Even something as simple as automatically detecting which date format to use in a specific territory (dd/mm/yyyy vs mm/dd/yyyy, for example), or using a comma or dot when writing a large number, can go a long way in building brand affinity.
Local pricing is also important as it allows customers to avoid currency fluctuations. Furthermore, you can integrate your product with local payment gateways and other locally-popular third-party apps in order to increase adoption.
A culture of localisation
Real localisation, however, goes beyond localised offerings. It should be inculcated into your business’s culture. That means taking local cultures and ways of working into consideration when you enter new territories.
At Zoho, we have adopted an approach called “transnational localism”. It brings together the best features of global connectivity with local knowledge and insights. We hire locally in the new territories and train the new employees so that they intimately understand our various offerings and brand values. They, in turn, bring with them a deep understanding of the local markets, and help adapt the offerings.
Ultimately, if your employees buy into this attitude, they’re also more likely to feel empowered to cater to the needs of local customers. This will enable smoother entry into new markets.
Taking advantage of the moment
It’s also worth pointing out that there’s never been a better time to take this kind of holistic
approach to localisation. The past two years have accelerated digital transformation, and customers are more willing to adopt new products and offerings. Thanks to the rise of remote work, meanwhile, there are a whole host of workers who are ideally suited to working for global businesses and who can offer their expertise when it comes to localisation.
The businesses that take advantage of this unique set of circumstances to build fully localised offerings and an open culture of localisation will put themselves in the best possible position to succeed in their expansion plans.
A major shake‑up rocks viewers and subscribers of DSTV/GOTV as many channels are set to shut down and be removed on January 1, 2026.
The trigger for the upcoming shut‑down is a breakdown in negotiations between the owners of multiple global channels and the pay‑TV operator.
As of December 2025, the deal between Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) and DStv/GOtv has expired and the two parties have not reached a renewal agreement.
Without a new carriage/distribution agreement, the channels belonging to WBD risk being pulled off the DStv/GOtv line‑up.
This is the most significant content cutback the service has seen in years.
The affected channels are:
Discovery Channel
TLC
Cartoonito
Cartoon Network
CNN International
Food Network
The Travel Channel
TNT
Investigation Discovery
Real Time
HGTV
Discovery Family
Paramount Africa is officially shutting down at the end of December 2025, drawing the curtain on more than two decades of operations in South Africa and Nigeria.
The company, which once reached over 100 million viewers across 52 African territories, confirmed it will close its doors as part of a massive global restructuring at its parent company, Paramount Global.
This is the same Paramount Africa behind channels like BET, MTV, MTV Base, Comedy Central, Nickelodeon, and more.
Its digital footprint has also been significant, with millions of monthly page views, social media engagements, and content partnerships across Africa.
But despite that scale, rising costs and a global strategic reset have caught up with the business.
Paramount’s retrenchment has been building for months.
Earlier this year, plans to launch a standalone Paramount+ app in South Africa were quietly shelved.
Then in August, the company said its content would remain available only via DStv and Showmax.
And last month, MultiChoice confirmed that BET Africa and MTV Base will disappear from DStv and GOtv on January 1, 2026, as Paramount Africa winds down entirely.
The shutdown is tied to aggressive cost-cutting after Paramount’s merger with Skydance. The company is targeting a 15% reduction in global staff and $3 billion in savings.
International divisions, including Africa, have taken the hardest hit as the business pivots away from linear TV and doubles down on a more streamlined streaming-first model.
At the same time, the global media landscape is being shaken by Warner Bros. Discovery’s chaotic auction. Netflix, Paramount, and Comcast have all submitted fresh bids for WBD, with some offers reportedly focusing on the studios-and-streaming division, home to HBO, HBO Max, DC, and Warner Bros. Pictures.
Analysts say the crown jewel bundle could go for as much as $70 billion, a deal that would reshape Hollywood and accelerate the decline of traditional TV.
DStv subscribers may lose access to 12 major Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) channels, including CNN International, Discovery Channel, TLC, and Cartoon Network, from Jan. 1, 2026, if MultiChoice and WBD fail to conclude a new distribution agreement.
DStv
MultiChoice, now owned by Canal+, issued a notice to customers on Monday, warning that its current carriage deal with WBD will expire on Dec. 31, 2025, and negotiations to renew the contract remain inconclusive.
“While discussions between the parties continue, no agreement has been reached at this stage. If this remains unchanged, several Warner Bros. Discovery channels may no longer be available on DStv from Jan. 1, 2026,” the company said.
The channels at risk include Discovery Channel, CNN International, TLC, Discovery Family, Real Time, TNT Africa, Food Network, HGTV, Investigation Discovery, Cartoon Network, Cartoonito, and Travel Channel.
The development comes amid subscriber losses for MultiChoice, which has shed 2.8 million active linear subscribers over the last two financial years.
This includes 1.2 million customers lost in 2025 alone, representing an 8 per cent decline across South Africa and the rest of Africa.
In Nigeria, MultiChoice has lost 1.4 million subscribers in the past two years, largely due to repeated subscription price increases, according to Nairametrics.
The broadcaster is also set to lose additional content in the coming months. Paramount Africa will discontinue BET Africa and MTV Base from Jan. 1, 2026, while CBS Reality and CBS Justice will cease operations on Dec. 31, 2025.
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