Netflix to focus on original shows from Africa in 2019

According to a recent report by Engadget, Netflix has filmed originals in Africa, but it hasn’t really commissioned originals from Africa.

That’s about to change, the company’s Erik Barmack revealed at a conference this week. He promised that Netflix would “definitely” order some shows from Africa in 2019. He didn’t hint at what might be coming in the pipeline, but the service was already “looking at opportunities” in the expansive continent.

To date, Netflix’s international efforts have focused on Asia, Europe and Latin America, and it has only recently started to address large demographics in some parts of the world. Arabic speakers, for instance, will finally get a native-language production in the form of Jinn. Expansions like this could be vital to not only making Netflix a truly global service, but to serving countries where there are few streaming options.

The worldwide push could also change Netflix’s overall demographic. Barmack predicted that half of the top 10 popular shows will eventually come from outside of the US, and that this transition could happen within “years, not decades.” To put it another way, Netflix might not be quite so America-centric as it is now.

| Source: Engadget

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Papi Mabele

Papi Mabele has a marketing background, he is a digital marketing expert with extensive experience in launching and building global brands in the emerging markets. Papi is also an avid tech writer, enthusiast and all round tech junkie. As a freelance writer and analyst he has been numerously published in Popular Mechanics (SA), GQ South Africa, Premier Magazine, Driven Magazine, Bloem News, Courant, The Weekly, Enthooze Magazine and PiE magazine amongst others.