Dear colleagues and friends,
Perhaps it is because there are only 2 months left until the end of this exhausting year, but the pace at which our world is tumbling forward seems to have reached fever pitch in the past two weeks.
Just a few hours after I sent the 27th edition of HUSTLE & FLOW paying tribute to the beauty of Nigeria’s peaceful #endSARS movement, the army laid down a nighttime trap on harmless protesters and shockingly executed several of them under the cover of darkness, in what is now referred to as the Lekki Toll Gate massacre. Initially stunned and traumatized, Nigeria’s youths have since picked themselves up, dusted themselves off, and are now focusing their energies on organizing themselves for the country’s 2023 elections.
Talking about elections, some very messy ones have just happened in Tanzania, and will soon happen in Ivory Coast, in Guinea, and of course tomorrow in America -- all countries in which incumbent leaders might cheat, steal, or plainly just refuse to leave office because, it turns out, they can.
Meanwhile, just before Europe went back into lockdown courtesy of that dreaded second wave, people in France were getting beheaded in the street and in broad daylight by terrorists.
In the midst of all this mess, businesses, creators, and ideas continue somehow to survive and thrive across the continent. This week in HUSTLE & FLOW, I talk about new books by literary legends Wole Soyinka and Ngugi wa Thiong’o; the shocking death of art patron Sindika Dokolo (another tragedy); and the success of taboo-breaking Senegalese series. But you’ll also read about why data is where the money’s at; Christmas gifts ideas; a must-see-but-can’t-see exhibition of African textiles; Africa’s hottest architecture projects; Kenyan Heroes on Google; new music talent search competitions; the future of sports post-COVID; and the new South African Ugly Betty.
Don’t hesitate to share this newsletter with friends and colleagues who might be interested in the African Entertainment industry. If you are new to HUSTLE & FLOW, you can subscribe and catch up on previous editions at www.restless.global/hustleflow. And please continue as always to send me your comments, links, tips and corrections at marie@restless.global.
Happy reading to all,
Marie
INTERNET INFRASTRUCTURE
If you are a regular HUSTLE & FLOW reader, you know I’ve been very bullish about Africa’s data center opportunity. If you have a couple hundred millions lying around, it truly is a no brainer - and Liquid Telecom is on it. With a fresh $307 million in the bank, the group, which already operates five data centers in South Africa, Kenya and Rwanda, is now expanding to five other countries, including Egypt and Nigeria. Strive Masiyiwa, the Zimbabwean founder of Liquid Telecom’s owner Econet, has announced that construction is already under way for the company’s new data center in Lagos, which is set to be the largest on the continent outside of South Africa.
MOBILE
Masiyiwa has been maneuvering his way into the Nigerian market for years, even setting up the country’s first GSM mobile network, Econet Wireless Nigeria (now Airtel Nigeria) back in 2001 - an adventure that didn’t exactly end well. It is clear that he is still determined to crack Nigeria, one way or another.
Indeed, despite the sharp economic slowdown, the continued devaluation of the Naira, and the social and political chaos of the past few weeks, some companies continue to win big there. And MTN might be the biggest winner of them all, as it just announced a 13.9% revenue growth over the 3rd quarter which guarantees it to cross the N1 trillion ($2.6 billion) mark by year’s end -- all thanks to data. A strong validation, if one was ever needed, of Masiyiwa’s data center approach (if you can’t beat them, join them, and if you can't join them, make yourself indispensable to them).
E-COMMERCE
In other MTN news, the operator has announced the sale of its 18.9% stake in Jumia, for net proceeds of $142.31 million. This move is part of MTN’s ongoing efforts to streamline its portfolio and minimise debt by disposing of its non-core businesses. The e-commerce platform, which faced difficult times last year that brought its share price crashing to a low of $3 after a groundbreaking but controversial listing on the New York stock exchange, has since rallied and regained its unicorn status. In the last 10 days, Jumia’s shares have steadied between $16 – $19 and its market cap has reached as high as $1.5 billion. As I was writing a few months ago, the pandemic might have very well been Jumia’s saving grace.
FASHION
Today in Fashion news, here’s one exhibition I would have loved to see, hadn’t it been for Lockdown Season 2: Black Thread, a showcase of the textile traditions of West Africa curated by Marché Noir creator Amah Ayivi, has opened at Världskulturmuseet in Sweden. The exhibition presents century-old fabrics (with a focus on Kente from Ghana) side by side with contemporary outfits by Ayivi and Cameroonian star designer Imane Ayissi. I see a lot of exciting opportunities in the future for the revival of traditional, hand-crafted African textiles as the fashion industry continues its march towards sustainability.
LITERATURE
At 86-years-old, father-of-African-literature Wole Soyinka is more productive than you. The Nigerian playwright, poet, and Nobel prize winner has used his time in lockdown to write his third novel, the first in almost 50 years. The optimistically titled Chronicles of the Happiest People on Earth, which his publisher calls “a narrative tour de force”, will be published in Nigeria before the end of the year and internationally in early 2021. As you may recall, a film adaptation of Soyinka’s iconic play Death and the King’s Horseman, is also currently under development at Netflix. You can put Soyinka on the (short) list of people who won 2020.
It looks like writing is good for life expectancy. I somehow (how could I??) forgot to mention the new book by another hyper-prolific African literary giant, 82-year-old Kenyan author Ngugi wa Thiong’o. Although he has been based in California for decades as a distinguished professor of English and Comparative Literature at UC Irvine, Thiong’o’s work remains engaged with his homeland. His new book, The Perfect Nine, is a recounting of the creation myth of the Gikuyu people through a decidedly feminist and pan-African lens. Originally written in Gikuyu and published in Kenya in 2018, the novel was translated into English by Thiong’o and embodies his famous theory on “Decolonizing the Mind.” The beautiful cover was designed by the talented Monica Obaga, a friend and former team member at Buni.tv.
In other literature news, Booker Prize shortlisted author Maaza Mengiste has assembled a diverse array of Ethiopian writers for Addis Ababa Noir, an intriguing anthology of short stories, while in Paris Cameroonian novelist Djaïli Amadou Amal has made it to the second round of selections for the prestigious Goncourt prize with Les Impatientes (The Restless Ones).
VISUAL ARTS
The African art world is in mourning this week after the tragic, untimely death last Thursday of Congolese businessman Sindika Dokolo in a diving accident in Dubai. Forty-eight-year-old Dokolo was perhaps best known to some as the husband of the controversial Angolan billionaire Isabel dos Santos. But in art circles, he had earned a serious reputation as a committed supporter of African art, growing a vast collection of more than 3,000 pieces and dedicating time and money to the restitution of the continent’s works from Europe. Through his foundation, Dokolo set up a team of researchers, dealers, and lawyers in 2013 to scour archives and investigate the international art market, looking for any potential stolen artworks. So far the team is reported to have located 17 pieces and has returned a dozen to their home countries, which is, by any stretch, a very commendable legacy for which Dokolo deserves to be honored and remembered.
This would make a great Christmas present (and I just ordered mine): Editions Textuel, in partnership with London-based publisher Thames & Hudson, have released Africa 21st century, a coffee table book celebrating 20 years of contemporary photography on the continent through more than 300 reproductions of works by 51 African artists.
And for those with slightly more disposable income, the Foundation for the Development of Africain Contemporary Culture (FDCCA) and the African Culture Fund (ACF) are currently running “Africa Unite Against Covid-19” an online charity auction to support artists from the continent. Seventy-three works donated by more than 30 leading African artists are available, with starting prices ranging from $698 to $35,000.
CULTURE
The National Museum of Kenya has partnered with Google Arts & Culture and Shujaa Stories to create Mashujaa Wetu, an impressive and even groundbreaking digital project that explores the history of 61 Kenyan heroes, representing each of the country’s 44 communities. The site was unveiled on Mashujaa Day, or Heroes’ Day in Kenya, and is part of the wider Kenyan Cultures project, a bottomless rabbit hole showcasing historical and modern aspects of the country’s rich cultures. Google Arts & Culture (formerly Google Art Project) is an online platform through which the public can view high-resolution images and videos of artworks and cultural artifacts from partner cultural organizations throughout the world. Earlier in its development, the project faced criticism about its western-centric approach. Clearly the internet giant is working to correct this and has now made Kenyan culture available to the entire world.
ARCHITECTURE
CNN has a pretty cool slideshow of Africa’s most anticipated architecture projects, that include the Niamey Cultural Center and Adjaye Associates’ Memorial des Martyrs in Niger; the monumental National Cathedral of Ghana, also by Adjaye Associates; Zaha Hadid’s Grand Theatre and the Mohammed VI Tower in Rabat; the New Redemption Hospital in Liberia and the Ellen DeGeneres Campus (sigh, yes) of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund in Rwanda, both designed by US nonprofit MASS Design Group; Cairo’s Grand Egyptian Museum and the Gouna Conference and Culture Centre in Egypt; and the Floating Music Hub in Cape Verde by Kunlé Adeyemi of Makoko floating school fame.
MUSIC
Two new Music talent search competitions were announced last week. First, MTN Nigeria has partnered with Berklee College of Music and Nigerian creative hub Afrinolly to produce its Y’ello Star reality show. Members of the Berklee community will serve as coaches and judges for the 16 semifinalists, with the winners offered the opportunity to record their debut single at Berklee’s campus in New York. The Mic: Africa is a music competition and docu-series independently produced by creative tech startup AMP Global Technologies and broadcast through various media and telco partner platforms across the continent. Fans have used the app to select 18 semi-finalists among young artists from Rwanda, Ghana, Kenya, South Africa, Nigeria, and Mauritius. The show will air in early December with a finale on January 3rd.
By tapping into young people’s hunger for fame and Africa’s seemingly bottomless reservoir of raw talent, such music-based competitions have been extremely popular across the continent in recent years. Local adaptations of global formats such as Idols, Project Fame, X-Factor, The Voice, or America’s Got Talent, but also mobile-based competitions such as Trace Music Star, have drawn massive viewership and generated substantive revenue through sponsorship or premium SMS voting.
SPORTS BUSINESS
New Frame is looking at the future of Sports in Africa in a post-COVID world. With competitive sports being largely dependent on revenues from match-day attendance fees, sponsorships, and declining broadcast license fees, sports federations and sports business entrepreneurs need to urgently start exploring other revenue streams as they wait for some kind of normalcy to return. As I have written in HUSTLE & FLOW in the past, opportunities exist to create more innovative content around local sports and exploit it over the variety of digital platforms available today (social media, global streaming platforms, mobile, exclusive club-owned platforms, etc).
One federation that has been very active in pushing new digital content out during the lockdown is the Basketball Africa League. ESPN has a very interesting article about how America’s relationship with its African NBA players has evolved over the years - from prejudice to curiosity to finally, respect, as BAL is forcing Americans to look at Africa through a different lens. Meanwhile, although basketball’s practice and audiences are growing on the continent, it remains a “luxury” and “forward-looking” sport most appreciated by the educated elites.
One advantage the NBA has by starting basically from scratch in Africa is that it can fully control the way the sport is structured and run. This is not the case for local football which is, let’s be honest, a hot mess. Last week, Confederation of African Football president Ahmad Ahmad was found to have breached various codes of ethics, which may destroy his chances for re-election come next March. And in Kenya, StarTimes’ recently signed 7-year deal to broadcast the national football league games may be compromised by bitter infighting between the defunct Kenya Premier League (KPL) and the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) over who, exactly, owns what rights. A rookie mistake on the part of StarTimes.
BROADCAST
Canal+ slow-but-steady takeover of MultiChoice continues, with the French group now owning 12% of its South African partner-rival. We’ll keep an eye on that. Meanwhile, Canal+ continues to experiment with new types of content, and is releasing tonight its first paranormal African series, Hantés (Haunted), written and directed by South African Gareth Crocker (Shadow).
Staying on the topic of TV series, Le Monde has a good article this week on the new wave of “made in Senegal” soap operas sweeping the country.The trend started with the broadcast of Maitresse d’un Homme Marié (Mistress of a Married Man), which broke all records on TV and on YouTube in January 2019 with its taboo-breaking themes of domestic violence, polygamy and depression. Another hit is Infideles, which talks about infidelity in relationships, in the family or towards religion, and competes in prime time against Maitresse. Despite the shows’ massive success, the economics of the local fiction market are still tight. According to the series producers, 2 seasons of 52 episodes cost between $133,000 and $177,000 to make, or approximately between $1,280 and $1,700 per episode. The revenue model involves first a TV broadcast where producers keep 60-70% of the advertising revenue with the rest going to the channel, then an exclusive VOD window (on Sonatel’s platform WIDO for example), and finally a free release on YouTube, where millions of viewers can bring some $27,000 over 6 months. But of course, this is only the beginning, and producers are already starting to dub their productions in French and English in order to target multiple channels across the region.
In Nigeria, the Nigerian Broadcasting Commission, which hasn’t been making friends in the industry lately, has fined Channels, AIT and Arise TV $9,000 each for "unprofessional conduct" and "using unverifiable footage" in their coverage of the #EndSARS Protests. The move promptly triggered outrage from the country's civil rights organizations who described it as a “blatant curb on freedom of expression and media independence”. A few days later, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, and 261 concerned Nigerians, civil society and media groups filed a lawsuit against the NBC and the Minister of Information and Culture, asking the court to “declare arbitrary, illegal, and unconstitutional, the fines imposed on the aforementioned media houses".
VOD
So what has Netflix been up to in the past couple of weeks? Making deals with telcos to make it easier for African consumers to pay by adding their subscriptions to their phone bills. So far Netflix has inked such partnerships with Vodacom and Telkom in South Africa, where a substantial number of users have post-paid accounts, while the streamer is no doubt looking at other types of mechanisms in Nigeria and beyond, where most mobile users are on a pre-paid model instead.
In South Africa, the SABC continues to fight for its survival, proposing a new regulation that would expand the definition of a TV licence to include streaming services such as Netflix, and hence bring the public broadcaster more revenue, while also finalizing plans to launch its own VOD platform in early 2021.
FILM
The Guardian sheds some light today on the emergence of a new kind of Nigerian cinema - the type that is finally finding its place in top film festivals around the world (although not necessarily at the top of the local box office). Films like The Ghost and the House of Truth, Eyimofe and For Maria, tackle serious topics such as gender equality, postnatal depression and transatlantic migration, and are currently available on the BFI Player as part of the Beyond Nollywood strand at Film Africa, which is running virtually until November 8.
CONTENT DEVELOPMENT
Yo soy Betty, la fea, the hit Colombian telenovela which inspired the American Ugly Betty, is now getting a South African remake featuring the show’s first Black lead. UBettina Wethu is set to be released in April 2021 on SABC. African remakes of international fiction formats are still exceedingly rare (the only other one I have in mind is EbonyLife’s Desperate Housewives Nigeria), for two reasons: first, the format rights are prohibitive for the local markets and second, African viewers are not exactly waiting for this type of shows, as they’re quite happy with original creations that are more directly relevant to their own experiences. It will however be interesting to see the response to uBettina Wethu, as tastes constantly change and evolve.
If the busiest producer in Africa is Mo Abudu, the busiest African director award goes to Wanuri Kahiu, who has just boarded ANOTHER Hollywood project. The Kenyan filmmaker is now set to direct Paramount Player’s feature adaptation of bestselling author Angie Thomas’ second novel On The Come Up.
Another African director is making strides this week in Hollywood as South Africa-based Nigerian director Akin Omotoso has been tapped to direct Greek Freak, a Disney+ feature about NBA star Giannis Antetokounmpo, who was born in Greece to Nigerian parents and currently plays for the Milwaukee Bucks.
ANIMATION
Two more African-flavored Hollywood announcements this week, this time in Animation, with Matthew A. Cherry (Hair Love) set to direct Tut, an animated “afro-futuristic, coming-of-age story of the boy king Tutankhamun” for Sony Pictures Animation, while Lakeith Stanfield (Get Out) will lead the voice cast of Netflix’s Yasuke, a new anime in which Stanfield portrays the first African samurai of the same name.
GAMING
Finally, NETINFO, AfricanGameDev and Epic Games MegaGrants are launching Let's Build the African GameDev Community, a free 5-month support program for budding African game developers aged 18 to 30 to learn how to use Unreal Engine. Inscriptions take place here.