Second-largest streaming platform in Africa, Netflix, has released its first biannual report detailing viewership patterns for the period from January to June 2023 globally, with the report covering over 18,000 titles and more than 100 billion hours of streaming.
The report showed the first season of South African series, Unseen, topping the charts for Africa, and ranking 229th globally. Unseen has accumulated over 60 million viewing hours on Netflix so far.
South Africa also dominated the top 10 most-streamed movies in Africa with eight representations, while Nigeria had two with Shanty Town and Far From Home ranking 750th and 2,088th, respectively, on Netflix’s global scale.
South Africa, accounts for 73% of Netflix viewers in Africa, and it holds a significant position in the streaming landscape due to this. Nigeria contributes about 10.5% of Netflix’s viewers on the continent. South Africa’s strong economy, established online video market, and a growing appetite for streaming content contribute to its leading position.
The report also comes amid a recent development where Netflix lost its market leader status in Africa to Showmax. Netflix entered the African market in 2016, facing competition from established players like MultiChoice and new entrants like Amazon Prime Video. To combat these rivals, Netflix’s strategy involves licensing content from local studios, such as Nigeria’s Black Book, and producing original content like The Origin: Madam Koi-Koi. This dual approach has incurred a cost of $175 million for Netflix over six years.
Despite Nigeria having the most licensed content in Africa, it received only $23 million compared to South Africa’s $125 million. However, Netflix has reportedly more than recouped its investment, generating over $230 million in the last two years. The streaming platform continues to navigate the African market, balancing licensed and original content to cater to diverse audience preferences.
