TV executives from South Africa and across the African continent will descend on Cape Town this upcoming week who will be in attendance - and talking - at the 16th annual AfricaCom 2013 event and its AfricaCast 2013 seminar series taking place from 12 to 14 November at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC).
AfricaCast - fast becoming a must-attend event on the annual calendar in already busy TV executives' diaries - is filled with television and technology executives giving keynote speeches, talking about, and engaging in discussions ranging across the entire spectrum and aspects of Africa's burgeoning satellite and television market.
Included on AfricaCast 2013's speaking roster is Alex Okosi, the executive vice president and managing director of Viacom Media International Networks (VIMN Africa) who will talk about multiplatform connectednesss and how VIMN Africa is leveraging social media to drive TV viewing.
VIMN Africa will also give a preview of Comedy Central's programming for the African version of the channel on MultiChoice's DStv.
Maxwell Nonge, the managing director of Platco Digital will be in attendance and speaking after the launch of OpenView HD last month in South Africa as e.tv's new push within the direct-to-home (DTH) satellite market. Maxwell Nonge will be talking about how e.tv is preparing to position the free-to-air commercial broadcaster as a "broadcaster for all devices".
Sivan Pillay, the managing director of production company Endemol South Africa will talk on Wednesday about unlocking African television through digital transformation.
Olivier Laouchez, the founder and CEO of the Trace Group responsible for the Trace Sport Stars and Trace channels on MultiChoice's DStv will talk about Trace as an entertainment broadcaster in Africa.
SABC CEO Lulama Mokhobo will talk about how triple-play is impacting on African broadcasting revenues; and Christoph Limmer, a senior director for Africa at satellite company SES will talk about how satellite will shape future broadcasting in the African continent.
Richard Bell from the Wananchi Group which runs the Zuku pay-TV service in East Africa will talk about how fixed broadband networks and content represent the next leap forward for Africa
Kaisa Kieli, the president and managing director for Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region of Discovery Networks CEEMEA will talk on Thursday at AfricaCast 2013 about engaging target audiences with focused content.
Alessandro Tucci, the senior vice president and general manager for Africa for Fox International Channels (FIC Africa) and the FOX Networks which runs the FOX channels on DStv and TopTV will talk about developing pay-TV channels in emerging markets, creating balanced TV bouquets and share insight from emerging TV markets in Africa.
AfricaCast 2013 panel discussions include topics ranging from "How are broadcasters adapting to multiplatform engagement strategies?", Africa's preparations for the switch-over to digital terrestrial television (DTT) and how it's been going, to what the major challenges are of being a global broadcaster in Africa.
Other notable executives attending AfricaCom 2013 and AfricaCast 2013 include Rudolf Kogler, the head of IPTV at MultiChoice; Sid Wadhi, the CEO of ANB Digital which runs CNBC Africa; Mike Aldridge, the managing director of community TV station Cape Town TV (CTV); Solomon Mugera from the BBC, as well as executives from Neotel, Vodacom, MTN, Orange, Cell C, Telkom and Google.
