China's StarTimes Media, which has also become an investor in South Africa's On Digital Media (ODM) and the StarSat satellite pay-TV operator, will build a new StarTimes Africa headquarters of $78.6 million in Kenya's capital of Nairobi's which will include production fascilities to make TV content.
StarTimes Media is set to launch the new TV channel Star Sports 2 channel in July in East Africa and also in South Africa on StarSat, and the TV channel Star Swahili in August in East Africa.
StarTimes Media's new headquarters of 20 000m2 in Nairobi's Karen suburb will also serve as a dubbing centre for film and broadcast television and should be completed by the end of 2015.
"The uptake of our television services by the local subscribers has given us much confidence to set up operations here," said Pang Xinxing, the StarTimes group's president.
StarTimes Media says it wants to increase the number of Chinese soap operas shown on African airwaves and also wants to aggressively increase the production of TV shows produced in Kenya, as well as in other African countries.
StarTimes Media is currently active in 10 African countries, including South Africa.
"Subscribers have shown an insatiable appetite for affordable digital television service. This has seen increased uptake of our service which has gone a long way in giving us confidence to set up our Africa operations in the country," said Pang Xinxing.
He said that StarTimes Media is launching Star Sports 2 and Star Swahili as two new TV channels for Africa.
