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    Tuesday, January 18, 2022

    Multichoice Expands Hyperlocal Territory


    MultiChoice‘s mission is to showcase the rich and diverse culture of Africa through the deep narrative history of our continent.

    Pan-African entertainment company MultiChoice (MultiChoice.com) has further expanded its hyperlocal offering with the launch of two new television channels, Maningue Magic and Kwenda Magic, for audiences in Mozambique and Angola, respectively.

    The group’s long-established hyper-local strategy is a multi-pronged hybrid approach combining local content acquisition, local production and local content development through international production partnerships.

    The new Portuguese-language channels will show dramas, telenovelas, local versions of hit reality shows, hilarious comedies, international dubbed content and local music on the DStv and GOtv platforms when the channels go live on Monday, January 17.

    “These channel launches are an exciting milestone for MultiChoice and our hyper-local strategy,” says Joao Ribeiro, Channel Head for Kwenda Magic and Maningue Magic. “MultiChoice’s mission is to showcase the rich and diverse culture of Africa through the deep narrative history of our continent. Having two new 24-hour channels in local languages, with locally produced content, provides an incredibly powerful platform to do this.”

    Over the past 18 months, MultiChoice has increased its local content offering through the launch of various channels including Pearl Magic Prime, Akwaaba Magic and Abol TV in Uganda, Ghana and Ethiopia, as well as successful international co-productions such as Reyka and local productions in course as the ever popular Big Brother Naija.

    Local content continues to be a fundamental part of the group’s differentiation strategy. The group produced an additional 2,692 hours of local content in 2021 (41% year-over-year growth). The combined MultiChoice local content library is now approaching 66,000 hours and represents 45% of total general entertainment content spend.

    Although this ratio is in line with local content targets, the group plans to further increase investment in local content. Ribeiro says that the new canals are already proving a significant boost for the production industries in both countries.

    “Until now, independent producers had few outlets for their work and had to act on many levels, fighting to get budgets and to get their content shown,” says Ribeiro. “With our channels requiring content 24 hours a day, we can now invite local producers to submit ideas, commission and develop projects, and pay fair, market-related rates for the work.”

    “By investing in the industry, we are creating opportunities for local talent, telling local stories and contributing to the stability of the industry. We are committed to growing the industry in the countries where we operate and to offering content that resonates with our viewers,” says Ribeiro.

    Ribeiro says that in the months that MultiChoice has spent setting up the channel, broadcast professionals in both countries have been exposed to many new opportunities. Happy workers now have more options and are less likely to leave the industry due to job shortages.

    “We are commissioning jobs from established producers, as well as smaller companies from across the continent, while also creating opportunities for MultiChoice Talent Factory alumni,” says Ribeiro.

    Speaking about hyper-localization and ongoing content production in Africa, MultiChoice Africa CEO Fhulufhelo Badugela says: “When we develop local channels or produce local content, our goal is to create a platform that reflects local culture, so that audiences see themselves represented in the content they watch.

    “Localization goes beyond simply duplicating popular formats in a different language or with a different cast,” says Badugela. “It’s about incorporating a country’s social, gender, and religious conventions, as well as pop culture trends like music, influencers, and celebrities into stories. This is what makes our hyperlocal strategy unique and exciting.”

    Highlights of Maningue Magic’s offering include the telenovela Maida, about a naive teenager who leaves the countryside for the big city; a proudly Mozambican music show Estação do Boss; Date My Family Moçambique, a local version of the hit dating reality show. The Influencer, a Mozambican original series will tell the story of a girl who pursues the dream of being a digital Influencer who ends up in a drug and prostitution ring. Top+ will showcase famous Mozambican and African artists and personalities who are drawing attention on social media. Txunado, a magazine about Mozambican fashion, arts and lifestyle.

    On Kwenda Magic, flagship shows include O Rio, an Angolan adaptation of 1Magic’s popular soap opera The River; Makongo, a new drama about the life of a young man in Luanda; and Salão de Beleza, a sitcom about a Luanda establishment and its diverse and dramatic patrons.

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