South Africa dominates Netflix’s most-watched movies in Africa

Daba Finance/South Africa dominates Netflix

AFRICAN BUSINESS AND ECONOMYDecember 17, 2023 at 4:13 AM UTC

Netflix, the second-largest streaming service in Africa, has recently unveiled its inaugural biannual report, providing a comprehensive overview of viewership trends on the platform from January to June 2023 worldwide. This detailed report encompasses a staggering 18,000 titles that collectively accumulated more than 100 billion hours of streaming.

Leading the viewership rankings in Africa is the inaugural season of the South African series "Unseen," securing the 229th position globally. This series captivated audiences for a cumulative duration exceeding 60 million hours on Netflix, equivalent to a staggering 6,800 years—surpassing the span of human civilization.

The top 10 most-streamed movies in Africa prominently featured South Africa, contributing eight titles, while Nigeria claimed two spots with "Shanty Town" and "Far From Home," ranking 750 and 2088 globally on Netflix's scale, respectively.

Key Takeaways

South Africa's dominant presence in Netflix's viewership figures is unsurprising, given that the country constitutes a substantial 73% of Netflix viewership in Africa. In contrast, Nigeria contributes a comparatively modest 10.5% to Netflix's audience on the continent. The Rainbow Nation's commanding position stems not only from its robust economy but also from a well-established online video market and a burgeoning appetite for streaming content. While the recently released report highlights the global success of movies on Netflix, there's a noteworthy development in the African market. A recent report indicates that Netflix has ceded its market leader status in Africa to Showmax. Despite establishing its presence on the continent in 2016, Netflix faced stiff competition from established players like MultiChoice, the market leader, and emerging contenders such as Amazon Prime Video.

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