By Ogova Ondego
Published September 9, 2016
Television content creators, sellers and buyers across sub-Saharan Africa are getting ready for their annual November business at DISCOP Africa in South Africa.
DISCOP, the Organisation that plans the meeting at which buyers access prime television content and programmes, says that more than “250 global and regional sellers of feature films, television content, adaptation rights and packaged channels will be attending DISCOP Johannesburg, offering 10000 hours of prime programming at affordable prices, and suited for Africa’s multicultural audiences who are fast embracing digital entertainment, binge watching and social media.”
DISCOP Africa held its last market in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, in 2010 prior to its relocation to South Africa’s Johannesburg and Ivory Coast’s Abidjan due to what was described as non-supportive business environment.
DISCOP markets are now held four times a year in Dubai, Abidjan, Istanbul and Johannesburg. They “target B2C content distribution platforms operating primarily in Central and Eastern Europe, North and Sub-Saharan Africa, the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), the Middle East, the Indian Sub-Continent, Oceania and South East Asia.”
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The Johannesburg meeting, scheduled for November 2-4, 2016 in the upmarket Sandton district of Johannesburg, is expected to serve a three-day programme “tailored for established and up-and-coming producers” with a view to helping them navigate the new contours of content development, production and distribution in such a fast-changing world parallel to the market.
The agenda of the special programme, DISCOP Africa says, will comprise:
- Talks by captains of industry on how to boost Africa’s multi-platform, multi-screen content industry and turn it into a sustainable sector of activity fostering creativity, generating jobs and fueling growth
- A pitching competition open to all registered producers to promote original television and web projects in front of key players seeking innovative concepts and fresh talent
- A promotional day to unveil upcoming and returning hit TV shows, in the presence of the acting, directing, writing and production talent attached to them.
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At the centre of the market will be a pitching competition to give independent producers the opportunity to “generate development-funding as well as mentoring and networking opportunities.”
The competition comprises four popular television categories:
- Series
- Documentaries
- Formats
- Animation
Some 20 selected producers across the four categories shall compete, with the winner and the runner-up in each category receiving “various prizes ranging from cash, funding support, mentorship packages, marketing and distribution assistance, potential broadcasting and more, ” DISCOP Africa says.
