A survey by Broadcast Media Africa has uncovered a critical “monetisation crisis” facing the continent’s digital media industry. While 61% of media organisations in Africa have launched Over-The-Top (OTT) streaming platforms, a staggering 42% of those currently operating have no revenue model in place, streaming content entirely for free.
The report identifies a significant “Payment Paradox” as a primary driver of this crisis. While mobile money has emerged as Africa’s dominant payment rail—used by 68% of Africans as their primary payment method—only 32% of African OTT platforms currently accept it, representing a significant missed opportunity for revenue.
Key Findings on How African Audiences Pay for Content:
- The Credit Card Mismatch: Credit and debit cards lead for operator acceptance at 26%, yet card penetration remains notoriously low across much of the African continent.
- The Mobile Money Gap: Despite its dominance in daily African commerce, mobile money is significantly under-represented in the streaming sector, accepted by only 23% of operators.
- Transactional Over Subscription: Transactional Video on Demand (TVOD) or pay-per-view models are currently more viable than subscription models; 21% of operators utilise TVOD, compared to just 5% using SVOD (Subscription Video on Demand).
- The Integration Reward: Platforms that have successfully integrated mobile money report conversion rate uplifts of 20–40%, making it the single highest ROI technical investment available to most African operators today.
- Structural Barriers: Audience affordability (19%), high content costs (19%), and competition from free content (19%) are the top three interconnected blockers preventing revenue growth.
“Solving the monetisation puzzle—not the technology—is now the top priority for the industry,” the report concludes. While infrastructure and connectivity remain challenges for 30% of operators, the inability to collect payments from a willing audience currently constrains content investment and weakens the entire ecosystem.
The report also emphasises that local content is the clear winner for those who can solve the payment hurdle. Local drama, series, and films account for 55% of pro-rated performance share, significantly outperforming international licensed content, which trails at just 9.75%.
To bridge the gap between audience reach and revenue, the survey points to strategic partnerships as the essential “unlock”. While 78% of operators rate partnerships as “critical,” only 16% currently have active telco deals generating revenue. Telco bundling and zero-rating are identified as the most effective ways to address Africa’s number one consumption barrier: high data costs.
About the Africa OTT Survey 2026: The African OTT Content Streaming Survey Report 2026, conducted by Broadcast Media Africa, provides industry insights on deployment, monetisation, and growth across major African media markets. The findings are based on responses from a diverse range of stakeholders, including broadcasters (32%), content producers (29%), and OTT operators (12%) across Southern, West, and East Africa.
To find out more about the report, please click HERE.
