MultiChoice Group (MCG), Africa’s most-loved storyteller and leading entertainment business, was a key sponsor and participant at this year’s AfricaCom (featuring Africa Tech) which took place at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) from 12-14 November 2019.

“As Africa’s leading video entertainment business through Showmax, DStv and GOtv, we are continually adapting to meet the content consumption needs of the continent,” says MCG Group Executive for Corporate Affairs, Joe Heshu. “It’s another example of how we have evolved the technology and content of our brand over the past 30 years, in line with infrastructure development and changing consumer viewing patterns and demographics.”

As the biggest telecoms and technology event on the continent, AfricaCom brings together business leaders from the world of communications, enter-
prise digital transformation, ICT policy, broadcasting and digital media.

“Entertainment connects all corners of our continent, and bridges multiple gaps,” Heshu explains. “Our continued investment in local content, talent development and innovative infra- structure strengthens a critical path to enable digital transformation. It also empowers more people and enterprises to participate in Africa’s thriving digital
economy.”

The panel of experts from the MCG team that participated in presentations and discussions at the conference included:

  • Yolisa Phahle:
    MultiChoice Group –
    CEO for General Entertainment
  • John Ugbe:
    MultiChoice Nigeria – CEO
  • Niclas Ekdahl:
    MultiChoice Group – CEO for Connected Video
  • Busola Tejumola:
    MultiChoice Nigeria – Executive Head of Content
  • Graeme Cumming:
    MultiChoice Group – Head of Connected Video Product Development

In addition, MCG hosted a live-stream panel discussion at the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Summit.

The panel was facilitated by Hulisani Ravele, while South Africa’s Honourable Minister of Communications, Stella Tembisa Ndabeni-Abrahams was a special guest at the event. The panel experts explored what the Fourth Industrial Revolution means for Africa and how AI is shaping the face of business as we move towards an African 2025 marketplace.

The panellists at the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Summit were:

  • Irene Kiwia:
    Founder/CEO – Frontline Media Management Africa
  • Baratang Miya:
    Founder and CEO, GirlHype
  • Graeme Cumming:
    MultiChoice Group – Head of Connected Video Product Development
  • John Kamara:
    Director, Machine Intelligence Institute of Africa (MIIA)

Visitors to the MCG stand were provided with a complimentary voucher for a 30-day trial on Showmax.

“We hope that our participation enables us to connect to like-minded businesses on the continent. Ultimately, this will enable more consumers to be connected through streaming to content and it extends our footprint, products, services and content offering,” Heshu concludes.

The theme of the 2019 conference was “Accelerating business transformation to strengthen African economies” with an emphasis on bringing together the connectivity champions critical to enabling digital transformation in Africa. The conference attracted around 15,000 attendees, 500 exhibitors and 450 speakers.