Every time I stand in a room like this – full of creators, producers, inventors, digital natives, and cultural architects – I’m reminded of one powerful truth:
Africa’s future is not just mineral resources. it is not even technology on its own. Africa’s future is creative.
And the world is aligned with us.
Our fashion, our music, our films, our lifestyle, our humour, our digital content – everything we once treated as mere “expression” is now a globally traded commodity. And the world is paying premium.
The data is clear, the future of Africa is creative. Let’s talk numbers – because emotion is good, but evidence is better.
- Africa’s creative economy is projected to be a $200 billion industry by 2030 – and that’s a conservative estimate.
- The creative industry is expected to contribute about 4% to Sub-Saharan Africa’s GDP, employing more than twenty million people, directly and indirectly, by 2030.
- Africa has the world’s youngest population, with 70% under 30 – the single largest concentration of digital-first, creativity-driven consumers and creators on earth.
- Streaming penetration in Africa has grown by over 250% in five years.
- Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and emerging creator platforms have turned what used to be “talent” into a full economic class.
This is no longer “soft power.” This is hard economics, with real incomes, real jobs, real exports, real influence. But here is the hard truth:
We cannot build a continent powered by creativity if the policy, the capital, and the infrastructure are not well structured.
If creativity is the new crude, then the systems protecting, funding, and scaling it must evolve – urgently.
How are we – MULTICHOICE – BUILDING THE CREATIVE INFRASTRUCTURE AFRICA NEEDED
When we launched Africa Magic 22 years ago, the mission was simple but radical: Tell African stories on an African scale.
Today, what started as a channel is now a continental production engine, with:
- 500+ original productions commissioned in the last five years
- Thousands of creatives employed annually
- A multicultural ecosystem producing in Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa, Pidgin, Swahili, Amharic, isiZulu, English, and more
- Training pipelines across eight countries through the MultiChoice Talent Factory
- Production ecosystems across Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, Zambia, Malawi, Botswana, Namibia, and South Africa
Africa Magic today is not a channel. It is an economic infrastructure.
And nothing demonstrates the scale of that infrastructure like the shows we’ve built – shows that have become economic engines in their own right. Tinsel, now in its 16th year and has over 4000 episodes. “The Johnsons,” “Flatmates,” “Itura,” “Riona,” “Masquerades of Aniedo,” “Wura.” Not just programmes – but factories of talent, stability, and skill.
And of course…
BIG BROTHER NAIJA: AFRICA’S LARGEST CREATIVE ECONOMY ACCELERATOR
Love it or debate it, the numbers remain unbeaten:
- Over 4,000 production jobs created every season
- Thousands of businesses – from fashion to dÉcor, music, food, beauty, tech – plug into its value chain
- Contestants become brand enterprises
- SMEs scale
- Creators find their audience
- Digital communities ignite
- And for 10 straight seasons, it has fuelled continental audience engagement at a scale no other African production has matched
BBNaija is not a show. It is an economic stimulus plan. And its ripple effect feeds directly into the next pillar of Africa’s creative ecosystem…
Let’s talk about rewards and recognition – THE AMVCA: AFRICA’S LARGEST CREATIVE VALUE PLATFORM
The Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards (AMVCA) is our continent’s premium validation system for storytelling excellence.
It sets the standard for quality, creates visibility that unlocks funding, builds international credibility, accelerates careers, and strengthens the entire value chain – from cinematography to costume design, from editing to directing
And for 11 years, the AMVCA has been the gold standard for creative recognition in Africa. But here’s the interesting part; awards must evolve, recognition must deepen. Platforms must expand.
And let me speak carefully here, but boldly enough that you hear me: The future of creative recognition in Africa is about to evolve. And… let me just say, NECLive… watch this space.
But to unlock the next chapter, we must fix the foundation.
It’s not enough to celebrate creativity. We must protect it, fund it, and scale it. This requires coordinated action across five urgent fronts:
1. Policy Must Protect the Industry
Africa loses billions annually to piracy. Just one BBNaija season recorded over 5 million illegal streams and cloned accounts. That is not mischief. It is theft, and it is economic sabotage. We need modern copyright laws, enforcement frameworks, and cross-border protection.
2. Capital Must Follow Creativity
Creative enterprises need: Production financing, Development funds, SME loans, Equity investments, and Export support. We cannot build global-scale content with survival-level funding.
3. Infrastructure Must Match Ambition
Studios, Sound stages, Post-production labs, Animation hubs, Data infrastructure, Broadband accessibility. Without them, creativity cannot scale.
4. Talent Pipelines Must Be Institutionalised
Creatives don’t just “emerge.” They must be trained, mentored, equipped, and continuously upskilled. It is why institutions like the MultiChoice Talent Factory are vital.
5. Collaboration & Partnerships Must Become Our Default Setting
Co-productions. Cross-border writing rooms. Regional distribution alliances. Public-private partnerships. Brand partnerships. Creator-platform partnerships.
Collaboration multiplies scale—and scale is the currency of global success.
This is the only way we can compete with India, Korea, and Latin America, which have all built creative economies worth tens of billions of dollars.
AFRICA’S CREATIVE ERA IS HERE—NOW WE MUST OWN IT
As I stand here today, I can tell you for free:
The next global cultural wave will not come from Hollywood.
It will not come from Asia.
It will not come from Europe.
It will come from Africa.
Our job – yours and mine – is simple:
- Build the structures
- Create the platforms
- Invest in the people
- Strengthen the laws
- Protect the value
- And multiply the opportunities
Because when African creativity rises, entire economies rise.
When African stories travel, African industries grow.
When African creators thrive… Africa thrives.
NECLive,
This is our moment.
Not to dream… but to build.
Not to respond… but to lead.
Not to wait… but to act.
The continent’s creative century has already begun.
Let’s make sure Africa owns it.
Thank you.
