Launched in 2012, DISCOP Johannesburg specifically targets Sub-Saharan countries where English, Portuguese and Swahili are spoken as first or second language.

With a combined population of 900 million people, 55 to 60 million television households and over 23 million pay-tv subscribers, this part of the world encompasses 27 countries embracing digital transformation. Excluding sports rights, public and commercial broadcasters, premium cable channels, cable and satellite operators, telecoms, and mobile and streaming platforms have spent around $600 Million to buy content in 2018 – a 50% increase since the beginning of the decade – and generated close to $3.2 billion in direct pay-tv / advertising revenues.

Lower internet costs, better infrastructures, expanding mobile connectivity, fast-rising smartphone and pay-tv penetration, greater fiber uptake and the desire to improve the regulatory environment, will make multiscreen audiovisual content more readily available and soon put tens of millions of customers in play. In the next five years, these countries’ appetite for multiscreen programs will explode and annual acquisition budgets are expected to double, reaching $1.2 Billion.

Designed to help global companies as well as independents achieve their full potential on the Continent, DISCOP Johannesburg is specifically tailored to meet the demand of a rapidly changing audiovisual landscape under the influence of a marked preference for home-grown content, the emergence of local talents, viewers’ migration to on-demand streaming and mobile screens, increased mobility and faster internet.

Running alongside the market, a revamped, 3-day, sidebar pitching event will bring innovative stories and solid projects in front of key entertainment and media executives seeking fresh ideas and new talent.