In Nairobi, Kenya, the Africa Forward 2026 summit is not limited to diplomatic and economic issues. The audiovisual industries also feature prominently in the discussions, with the question of distributing African content globally as a central theme. Between ambitions for continental cooperation, investments in content creation, and new distribution strategies, several media groups are seeking to strengthen their presence on the continent.
At the Africa Forward 2026 summit held in Nairobi, discussions highlighted the strategic role of cultural industries in African economic integration. Present in over 70 countries, the Canal+ Group now boasts nearly 40 million subscribers worldwide, following the integration of MultiChoice. Summit discussions underscored the importance of strengthening the distribution of African content in international markets.
“One of the advantages is that Canal Plus has a very strong distribution arm called Studio Canal. So not only do they produce, but they also do distribution. So that will obviously stand us in good stead from all of our markets to say our content now has got a vehicle to be presented to the different markets throughout the world and make sure that it’s discovered.”
Nomsa Philiso, Content Director, Canal+ Anglophone and Lusophone Africa – South Africa
In Africa, audiovisual partnerships are gradually emerging as a strategic lever for cultural influence and economic growth across the continent. StudioCanal, a subsidiary of the Canal+ Group, leverages a catalog of nearly 9,000 titles to strengthen its global content production and distribution strategy. Present on the African continent for some thirty years, Canal+ now boasts 9.7 million subscribers in Francophone Africa and offers nearly 400 channels, thus consolidating its position as a major player in the African audiovisual landscape.
“The excitement that you see about people wanting to learn about each other’s culture, about each other’s languages, it’s really fascinating for us. And also how we have rallied behind one goal to say we have one vision as a continent. It’s really been fascinating for us to see how the teams are interacting with each other.”
Nomsa Philiso, Content Director, Canal+ Anglophone and Lusophone Africa – South Africa
African leaders intend to strengthen cultural and technological cooperation between Africa and its international partners, in a context of rapid change in the audiovisual sector. Within this framework, Canal+ states its intention to increase its investments in African content and digital distribution, notably through new agreements with Netflix. According to many experts, these initiatives should foster the emergence of a more integrated, competitive, and internationally visible African audiovisual market.
