Internet access pushing up growth in Africa’s entertainment, media industry—PwC
A new report has revealed that Africa’s entertainment and media industry has entered a dynamic new phase; a third wave of convergence.
The report said the borders that once separated the entertainment and media (E&M), technology and telecommunications industries are blurring in the battle for the attention of the consumer in a world that is rapidly digitising.
Otherwise, as the mobile device cements itself as the pre-eminent source of the E&M experience, the most disruptive, forward-thinking companies are striving to create an integrated ecosystem suited to this consumer-driven dynamic. This is according to PwC’s ‘Entertainment and media outlook: 2018 – 2022: An African perspective’ released on Wednesday.
Business Hilights gathered from the report that between the five countries considered in the Outlook, Nigeria is leading as the sector is set to add US$12.4 billion in revenue from 2017 to 2022, at a combined CAGR of 11.9%.
Nigeria
Nigeria saw a huge 25.5% rise in E&M revenue in 2017 to US$3.8 billion, although US$605 million of this US$764 million rise was attributable to Internet access. A 21.5% CAGR rate is anticipated to 2022, with revenue reaching US$9.9 billion in that year. Again, Internet access revenue will account for 89.6% of this absolute growth.
Kenya
Kenya’s E&M industry saw 17% year-on-year growth in 2017, again propelled by growth in the Internet sector. An 11.6% CAGR will take the country to US$2.9 billion in 2022, from US$1.7 billion in 2017. Outside of the Internet space, TV and video revenue dwarfs the other segments.
Ghana
Ghana’s E&M industry has more than tripled in value since 2013. Total revenue reached US$752 million in 2017. It is forecast to surpass US$1 billion in 2019 and to total US$1.5 billion in 2022, increasing at a 14.2% CAGR. As with Nigeria and Kenya, Internet access spends accounts for much of this revenue and growth. Ghana is in a strong position for further E&M growth as revenue gains critical mass over the next five years.
Tanzania
Total E&M revenue in Tanzania stood at US$496 million in 2017, having risen 28.2% year on year. Continued momentum at an 18.3% CAGR will see revenue reach US$1.2 billion in 2022, 2.3 times the size of the market in 2017. Tanzania’s E&M revenue make-up is ostensibly similar to that of Ghana, although here Internet revenue takes a slightly less dominant position.
South Africa
By 2022, total E&M revenue in South Africa is expected to reach R177.2 billion, up from R129.2 billion in 2017. Internet (access and advertising) is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.3% over the forecast period to reach R91.2 billion, up from R53.4 billion in 2017. Overall E&M growth will be less reliant on Internet access revenue as organic growth opportunities in Internet connections start fading towards the end of the forecast period. Internet advertising will greatly exceed TV advertising in terms of growth, leading the way with a 13% CAGR over the forecast period to reach R9.4 billion and overtake TV advertising spend in 2022.
The Outlook is a comprehensive source of analyses and five-year forecasts of consumer and advertising spending across five countries (South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana and Tanzania) and 14 segments: Internet, data consumption, television, cinema, video games, e-sports, virtual reality, newspaper publishing, magazine publishing, book publishing, business-to-business (b2b), music, out-of-home (OOH) and radio.
Vicki Myburgh, Entertainment and Media Leader for PwC Southern Africa, said “It’s clear we’re in a rapidly evolving media ecosystem that’s experiencing Convergence 3.0. In Convergence 3.0, the dynamics of competition are evolving while a cohort of ever-expanding super competitors and more focused players strive to build relevance at the right scale.
However, although much of this will fall into the hands of telcoms, there are significant opportunities for content providers too. The engine of growth here will be organic, with increased populations and gradually increasing disposable income swelling the ranks of potential E&M consumers – and ever-increasing Internet access greatly expanding the range of E&M opportunities available.
