‘The ‘Ghana block’ will be run as a 4-hour primetime content block and we will begin to create local content for the block and see how the market reacts to it,’ she said.
Also announced at the Content Showcase was the launch of new M-Net channels for East Africa. Theo Erasmus, the Regional Director, East and Southern Africa & Lusophone countries said: ‘M-Net’s vision is to create channels for each homogenous target market for Southern and Eastern Africa be it by language, culture, taste or a combination thereof.’
‘With that in mind, we are proud to announce that we’re launching a new channel exclusively for Tanzania on 1 October, called Maisha Magic Bongo (DStv Channel 160). There’s also a new channel coming in Angola on October 11, 2015 on the DStv Premium base called Jango Luxo, and we’ll also be producing a local version of the international smash hit reality show, The Voice, there.’ Erasmus also promised more local content in the near future, from territories including Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Maisha Magic Channel Head Margaret Mathore also revealed expansion plans for the East African powerhouse channel saying ‘we have every intention to go hyper-local with Maisha Magic and plan to start channels for each market in East Africa,” she said. “We will be premiering exciting local content, like hip-hop and Bongo music show Mzooka, a powerful local drama series called Talaaka and celebrity cooking show, Jikoni na Marion. We will also be licensing content that is grown in the East African soil, because we have intentions to address the entertainment needs of East African viewers and develop the region’s film industry’.
