Netflix has appointed Zimbabwean billionaire Strive Masiyiwa to its board. This is a clear evidence that Netflix sees Africa as part of its future. Besides buying movie rights and signing producers to produce more, having Strive on its board takes the playbook to a new level. Across all domains, this is epochal when it comes to regional SVOD (subscription video on demand) strategy. Yes, Strive knows Africa and has the networks and connections to everybody he needs in the continent.
Masiyiwa is the founder and executive chairman of Econet Global, a telecommunications company that operates across Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin America. Econet offers phone, broadband and satellite service, and is also a major provider of mobile payments….
For now, Africa is a small market for paid streaming video. In a continent of more than a billion people, Netflix has just a couple million customers, according to Digital TV Research. But the company has long argued that it would play the long game adding customers in Asia and Africa, home to the majority of the world’s people. Toward that end, Netflix has started offering cheaper, mobile-only plans and has commissioned a slate of original series and movies.
Of course, this also shows that Strive does not want to turn away from contents and videos after his own venture went nowhere. But the experiences he picked along the process would be valuable to Netflix.
“We are delighted to welcome Strive to the Netflix board,” Chairman and Co-Chief Executive Officer Reed Hastings said Wednesday in a statement. “His entrepreneurship and vision in building businesses across Africa and beyond will bring valuable insights and experience to our board as we work to improve and serve more members all around the world.”
This is going to be the most challenging equation for MultiChoice, the owner of GOtv and DStv:
Tekedia Mini-MBA edition 14 (June 3 – Sept 2, 2024) begins registrations; get massive discounts with early registration here.
Tekedia AI in Business Masterclass opens registrations here.
Join Tekedia Capital Syndicate and invest in Africa’s finest startups here.
Netflix + Elon Musk’s Starlink Satellite = Disruption of SVOD in Africa.
Yes, Netflix can practically pay for a high speed channel via Starlink and pipe videos to most parts of the content in the next coming years. Expect this playbook to role out at scale from 2025. Netflix has been known for paying ISPs to pipe its contents through a faster Internet in the U.S!
Comment on LinkedIn Feed
Tik tok is launching its app on Samsung smart TVs, if this collabo scales, then it’s time for Netflix to reposition. This playbook will blow cable TV out of the water, can someone please tell DSTV that it’s time to be afraid. Who needs the repetitive boredom of uninteresting contents when there are thousands of Tik Tik videos to entertain?. So even if Netflix adds Opera Winfrey sef to their board and makes the next “house of cards’ series in ibibio, social media and TV is having a hybrid baby and the hybrid is called Disruption.
---
Register for Tekedia Mini-MBA (Jun 3 - Sep 2, 2024), and join Prof Ndubuisi Ekekwe and our global faculty; click here.
Putting Strive on their board doesn’t make Netflix an African brand, or keep the earnings within the continent.
Let them keep playing ludo and draft with our population and its market potential, we are coming…