Showmax announces big Kenya investment plan

March 31, 2022 Siyabonga Mtangana

MultiChoice Group-owned video streaming platform Showmax is putting a big focus on growing its presence in East Africa, announcing it is working on four originals for the Kenyan market, all slated for release in 2022.

The content slate includes a feature film, a crime drama series set in Kibera, a high-stakes political thriller series set in a fictional county, and a thriller series. MultiChoice did not reveal how much it was spending on the original content.

The investment in Kenyan content follows the release of Kenya’s first Showmax original series, Crime and Justice, now in its second season, its first original film, Baba Twins, and the drama series Single Kiasi.

The investment comes as Netflix ups its spending on African original content, announcing last week that it will pump R900-million into South African content production over the next two years. That commitment will cover four productions – one international and three local – which will be filmed in South Africa during 2022 and 2023, Netflix said.

“South Africa is fast becoming a top global location for Netflix productions, with the country viewed as a go-to location with a robust and talented film industry filled with local creatives to bring international stories to life,” the company said.

Timothy Okwaro, MultiChoice channel director for East and Southern Africa, said of the Kenyan investment into Showmax originals that the slate “speaks to our localisation strategy and the keen focus on working with local producers, both established and upcoming to ensure we give our viewers what they want”.

Showmax is expanding its originals catalogue elsewhere on the continent, too. It recently launched its first original on Ghana, called ENO. The first Nigerian instalment in the “Real Housewives” franchise – The Real Housewives of Lagos – will be premiere next month. South African original shows in development include The Wife, The Real Housewives of Durban and Blood Psalms, a fantasy series set in Ancient Africa.