A new study of six African markets, Egypt, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal and South Africa, finds strong audience demand for African films, but distribution gaps continue to limit how many viewers see them and how much revenue they earn. Market growth alone will not ensure that these films reach audiences or generate sustainable returns for filmmakers.
Combined pay TV and streaming revenues across the six markets are projected to reach USD 5.2 billion (US dollars) by 2030.
The study, Made in Africa, Watched Globally?, was commissioned by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), through its Creative Africa Nexus (CANEX) programme, and produced by Dalberg. It examines film distribution, audience development, financing and social impact, drawing on data and analysis spanning 2020–2026. It also explores how films can shape public attitudes on social issues, including youth opportunity and aspiration, gender equality, governance and cultural identity.
The research draws on:
- 91 stakeholder interviews
- A survey of 1,630 viewers across the six countries
- Five in-depth case studies
What audiences want from African films#
Storytelling and production quality both shape viewing choices. In Rwanda, 56% of respondents cited a lack of interest in stories or themes as a barrier to watching local or African films. In South Africa, 98% rated acting quality as important when choosing films, and 96% said the same of plot and technical quality.
The findings point to a dual challenge for filmmakers: making stories that resonate with audiences while delivering the quality viewers expect. Preferences also vary within markets, which the study says calls for more granular audience data on what different groups watch, where they discover films and what they are willing to pay for.
Discovery gaps and YouTube’s new rules#
In Kenya, 52% of respondents said local and African films were difficult to find on mainstream platforms. The study recommends audience-data systems that track viewing preferences, spending and performance across distribution channels, to help producers, distributors and platforms decide what to commission, how to position films and how to reach different audiences.
YouTube has become an important route to audiences: 87% of Kenyan respondents and 98% of Senegalese respondents who stream films said they use the platform. Reach does not necessarily translate into sustainable revenue, however, as advertising earnings can be low and monetisation opportunities vary.
From 1 February 2027, YouTube will raise the eligibility thresholds for new channels seeking advertising and YouTube Premium revenue sharing through its YouTube Partner Program. New applicants will need:
- 1,000 subscribers
- Either 8,000 qualified watch hours in the previous 365 days, or 20 million qualified Shorts views in the previous 90 days
Channels already in the programme are not affected, although separate thresholds apply to revenue sharing from Shorts. For emerging African film producers building audiences on the platform, the changes make it more important to develop revenue models beyond advertising alone.
Limited screens, data costs and access models#
Africa has approximately one cinema screen per 787,000 people, compared with one per 8,700 in the United States. Screens are also concentrated in major cities: around 90% of Egypt’s cinema screens are in Cairo and Alexandria, while more than 75% of Kenya’s fewer than 50 screens are in Nairobi.
Watching on a phone can offer an alternative, but data costs remain a barrier. The study estimates that 1GB of mobile data costs the equivalent of 3.1% of monthly income across many African markets, above the global affordability benchmark of 2%. In a 2026 audience survey by South Africa’s National Film and Video Foundation, 31% of respondents described data for watching videos as expensive.
The report identifies ways to make film access more affordable and convenient, including:
- Advertising-funded services
- Offline downloads
- Video packages bundled with lower-cost data
- Payment options integrated with mobile-money and telecommunications systems
It also recommends using audience insights to test pricing, payment and viewing packages that reflect different audiences’ needs and spending power.
Regional examples show the potential of accessible distribution. In Senegal, Marodi TV has built an audience of 8.67 million YouTube subscribers and generated 4.6 billion views through a free, advertising-supported model. In Kenya, platforms such as Viusasa have offered 24-hour subscriptions for as little as KES 10–20 (Kenyan shillings), allowing audiences to pay in small amounts rather than commit to monthly subscriptions.
A weakened missing middle in financing#
Access alone is not enough. The study also identifies a weakened “missing middle” in film financing: platforms and aggregators able to pay licensing fees and commission mid-budget local productions for domestic and regional audiences.
