by Thinus Ferreira
South Africa's Primedia is creating Primedia Studios which will be headed up by the South African TV veteran Jan du Plessis as Primedia Studios president, who just retired from M-Net and MultiChoice after almost three decades.
Jan du Plessis will be responsible for oversight of Primedia Studios' strategy around the licensing, creation, development, localisation and distribution of entertainment shows and content like Primedia's content deal with the SABC for format shows like Deal or No Deal SA and The Masked Singer SA for SABC1 and SABC3.
Jan du Plessis joins Lindile Xoko, chief revenue officer and Primedia Broadcasting CEO, as well as Victoria Ramabulana, showrunner and project manager, who will report directly to Jonathan Procter, Primedia Group CEO.
Jan du Plessis says "We're confident that international format rights-holders, studios and indies will share our excitement at the launch of Primedia Studios".
"Our clients and advertisers can expect the best local content, including new and revitalised formats and dedicated marketing support. Marvel discovered that Africa has superheroes, too, and Wakanda can be forever."
"We want the real character and stories of Africa to infuse everything we do, and we will invest all available resources in the intellectual property that brings these stories to life. By harnessing the power and reach of the Primedia Group, Primedia Studios will be the home of premium-quality Africa-inspired content that will resonate with audiences around the world."
Jonathan Proctor says "Jan is an exceptionally talented professional who will inspire our company's next generation of young people as well as our industry's next generation of leaders. His innovation has created countless opportunities for both audiences and advertisers. For Primedia and the rest of the African continent, this will be a pivotal moment in our industry's development".
