A report released on January 28, 2025 by PriceWaterHouse & Coopers (PWC) predicts that Kenya will become in the next few years the fastest growing internet advertising market in the world. More precisely, the report estimates that over the next four years, the revenues generated from the African Entertainment and Media (E&M) industry in Africa will be superior to the global average, driven by the expansion of internet access, improvement of broadband connectivity (4G and 5G) and increase in mobile subscriptions by Africans.
The report notes that this trend is visible as early as 2023, where the E&M sector registered an impressive growth in some African countries such as South Africa (15%), Nigeria (11.7%) and Kenya (5.8%), well ahead of the world average of 5%. This growth, according to PWC, was supported by recent internet structure improvements and by a rapid growth in data usage by Africans. The trend is expected to continue at least until 2028, the PWC report concludes.
Top performers in this and the next three years will be always the above three countries. In particular, South Africa - the continent’s most developed media market – is expected to generate E&M revenues from $16.1 billion achieved in 2023 to $19.8 billion by 2028, mainly driven by a massive growth in video-streaming. In Nigeria, E&M revenues will grow from 9 billion (2023) to 13.6 billion (2028), with internet and advertising services, video games and e-sports, and video streaming as main contributors, while in Kenya the E&M industry is projected to register an increase from 3.8 billion (2023) to 4.8 billion (2028), with internet advertising services that will derive this growth.
These projections correspond to previous analysis conducted by the AfCFTA Secretariat and the United Nation Development Programme (UNDP) in 2021, and more recently, by the African Export-Import Bank (AfreximBank) in 2024, which identified digital, cultural and creative industries (including software, video, film, music and production of other digitalized creative content), among the sectors with the highest potential of growth and for value chain creation in the continent.
Africa's main advantages in these sectors are well known. The main ones are: 1) a large and young population that represents the main consumer market for digital, cultural and entertainment products and services; and 2) the existence of a diverse and vibrant cultural heritage that can serve as a powerful catalyst for growth of such industries. An additional aspect to consider, is that the continent is home to a vast number of talented artists, musicians, filmmakers, designers, and other creative professionals in the media and digital sectors.
The economic benefits of the E&M sector are also important. The sale of E&M products and services, both domestically and internationally, can generate significant revenue for African economies. Moreover, they can create numerous jobs, particularly for young people, in numerous areas such as music, film, fashion, design, computer programming and software development, digital marketing and advertising, as well as digital content creation, to name a few.
Ultimately, the role that the entertainment industry sub-sector, in particular, can play in preserving and promoting Africa's diverse cultural traditions should not be underestimated. This sector can foster a sense of community and promote social cohesion among Africans and people of African descent. In a period where phenomena of social disintegration on the continent are increasing - due to the resurgence of conflicts and political instability in several African regions - this is exceptionally important.
Desiderio Consultants Ltd., 46, Rhapta Road, Westlands, Nairobi (KENYA)