Netflix – Africa Tech Digest

Netflix launches free plan in Kenya to boost growth

21Sep

By Africa Tech DigestNo Comments

Africa, Apps, Mobile

Netflix launches free plan in Kenya to boost growth

Netflix said on Monday it is launching a free mobile plan in Kenya as the global streaming giant looks to tap the East African nation that is home to over 20 million internet users. The free plan, which will be rolled out to all users in Kenya in the coming weeks, won’t require them to provide any payment information during the sign-up, the company said. The new plan is available to any user aged 18 or above with an Android phone, the company said. It will also not include ads. Netflix, available in over 190 countries, has experimented with a range of plans in recent years to lure customers in developing markets. For instance, it began testing a $3 mobile-only plan in India in 2018 — before expanding it to users in several other countries. Continue reading Image: Krisztian Bocsi /...

Netflix’s first original Nigerian series builds on a hugely popular political drama set in Lagos

The official trailer for Nigeria’s first original Netflix series opens with a dramatic question, put by a reporter to fearless political operative Eniola Salami, the show’s lead character: “Madam, why do they call you the King of Boys?” he asks. The answer was first set up in King of Boys, a hugely successful 2018 movie produced by Nigerian filmmaker Kemi Adetiba. In it, Salami is a businesswoman who belongs to a clique of plunderers. The movie portrayed the dark behind-the-scenes machinations of politics in Nigeria, and resonated with viewers in the months leading up to the 2019 general elections. It became even more popular after becoming available on Netflix in September that year. Continue reading (Image Credits: qz.com)

Netflix Picks Up Its First Animated Series From Africa, ‘Mama K’s Team 4’

Netflix is adding to its growing slate of African content with its first original animated series, “Mama K’s Team 4,” produced by South Africa’s award-winning Triggerfish Animation Studios and British kids’ and family entertainment production company CAKE. The series follows four teenage girls living in a futuristic version of Lusaka, Zambia, who are recruited by a retired secret agent to save the world. It was created by Zambian writer Malenga Mulendema, who in 2015 was one of eight winners of the Triggerfish Story Lab, a pan-African talent search backed by the Cape Town-based animation studio and The Walt Disney Co. The series is designed by the Cameroonian artist Malcolm Wope. In the past decade, Triggerfish has become a powerhouse in South Africa’s burgeoning animation industry. ...