DISCOP Zanzibar | Mission Accomplished

The first DISCOP Zanzibar wrapped up last week after 3 days of intense meetings, networking, and focused interaction that reflected the health and continued growth of the East African TV, film, digital and video gaming content sector.

With over 500 attendees made up over just under 400 industry professionals, DISCOP Zanzibar proved to be a powerful meeting place for the most influential industry players from the region, and beyond.

Content was in strong demand from the 75 content buyers in attendance that represented 58 public and commercial broadcasters, cable / satellite operators, online and in-flight content aggregators, streaming platforms, and global and regional distributors from 17 African countries.

DISCOP Zanzibar’s continued focus on independent producers, as well as its partnership with the Zanzibar International Film Festival (ZIFF) could be seen by the immense interest from producers, with 141 independent content producers from 16 countries including 11 African countries attending the event.

Additionally the event hosted 39 sales executives representing 24 global vendors of finished content and adaptation rights (19) amongst a host of other professionals and experts from related media fields.

The 3 day NEXT GEN program that took place was also well attended throughout, with key panels such as The History and Future of Ethiopian Media; moderated by Salim Amin, Chairman of Camerapix, and The Africa Channel’s It’s Time for Africa – Creating & Producing for a Global Market. Moderated by Brendan Gabriel, VP Production & Creative Development, The Africa Channel being some of the highlights.

DISCOP Zanzibar was opened by the Minister of Information, Tourism and Heritage who had this to say, “According to a PWC report last year, The Kenyan entertainment and media market was worth US$2.1 billion in 2016, up 13.6% on 2015 and will hit the US$3.0 billion mark in 2020, and totalling US$3.2 billion in 2021. The same report predicts that in Tanzania Pay-TV subscription revenue will nearly double before 2021. The Tanzanian TV market will total US$271 million in 2021, growing at a 11.8%.

The numbers from the industry speak for themselves, and there are a few organisations, such as DISCOP, who can see the potential and the value in this market, and who understand just how important the growth and development of this sector can be for the growth of the entire region.”

Registration and attendance for the first ever DISCOP Zanzibar exceeded many expectations and DISCOP Markets’s director for Sub-Saharan Africa, Tim Mangwedi, had this to say of the event and its potential for the future: “After a long absence, DISCOP is back in Eastern Africa, in a move to strengthen its position as Africa’s and the Middle East’s #1 destination for content trade and co-production business with five markets a year by end of 2020: Abidjan, Sharm El Sheikh, Lagos, Zanzibar and Johannesburg.”

By Andrew Germishuys

Founder of SAMDB | Actor | Armourer | Tech Enthusiast With over two decades in the film industry, I'm a seasoned actor and skilled armourer. I hold numerous certifications in acting and filmmaking, complemented by degrees and diplomas in IT and technology, giving me a unique blend of creative and technical expertise. When I'm not on set or in the workshop, you'll find me immersed in the world of gaming and VR, fuelling my passion for cutting-edge technology. Connect with me: X / Twitter Facebook Instagram Mastodon Threads Explore my work on SAMDB IMDb