Original Story Published by: Celia Lebur for Agence-France Presse
Photo courtesy of: AFP/Archives
(Above) Nollywood productions have largely been sold as pirated copies for just a few dollars.
A glamour blogger, a filmmaker and a tech mogul are competing to create a homegrown African rival to Netflix, but poor internet connections and intense competition are proving daunting obstacles.
They dream of popularising access to films made in Nigeria, which is home to the world's second biggest movie industry in terms of production behind Hindi-language Bollywood.
With nearly $4 billion in revenue and almost 2,000 productions every year, films made in what is known as Nollywood are largely sold on the streets and to idling motorists caught in traffic as pirated copies for just a few dollars.
Local start-ups and Nollywood stars understand the interest in changing the distribution of films that are hugely popular across Africa, where cinemas are few and far between.
With such a huge potential market, video-on-demand platforms have sprung up in Lagos, Nigeria's commercial capital and home to the country's film industry.
And competition is already fierce.
- Netflix of Africa? -
To read the full article, visit Agence-France Presse.
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