MultiChoice, a regional giant, has disclosed that Kenyan viewers are increasingly showing a strong preference for locally produced content. The consumption of Kenyan-made films is now second only to foreign sports content such as the UEFA and English Premier Leagues.
MultiChoice’s Managing Director, Nzola Miranda, said that some classic shows like ‘Hulabaloo’ and ‘Njoro wa uba’ have attracted more than 5 million viewers in the last six months. The rise in private sector players like MultiChoice, Netflix and other independent film production studios has also led to growth in investment in local film production, according to the Kenya Film Commission.
John Kyalo, the Kenya Film Commission Capacity Development Officer, predicted this trend several years ago, saying that private players are changing how we tell our stories and feeding the population on what they want to watch. Kyalo also mentioned that Kenyans are yearning for more and more local content because they want to watch themselves on screen and consume authentic Kenyan stories. The future of local content is bright, he said.
The program that offers a full-year sponsored intensive immersion into the industry to a maximum of 20 graduates, the MultiChoice Talent Factory (MTF) East Africa Academy, attracted more than 4,200 applicants in 2023 alone. The intake of young emerging filmmakers from the region who can tell authentic African stories keeps growing every year by 30 to 40%, according to Victoria Goro, the MTF East Africa Academy Director. The program is offered in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Ethiopia. For individuals who do not qualify for the full-year program, the MultiChoice Masterclass – made up of short-term workshops – is available.
Several MultiChoice Kenya productions were recently recognised at the Women in Film Awards & the Kalasha International TV & Film Market Festival & Awards. These include ‘Kam U Stay’ for Best TV Comedy, ‘Zari’ for Best TV Drama and ‘The Death of a Kenyan Heiress’ episode of ‘The Last Door’ show by veteran journalist John Allan Namu, which won the Best Documentary Feature category.
In 2021, UNESCO published a report titled “The African Film Industry: Trends, Challenges, and Opportunities for Growth,” which revealed that the industry employed approximately five million people and contributed US$5 billion to Africa’s GDP. Africa’s film and audiovisual industries are projected to generate over 20 million jobs and contribute US$20 billion to the continent’s combined GDP.
“We urge more Kenyans to embrace local productions. We will continue producing content that speaks to the hearts of our viewers in their languages,” said Miranda.
