Kasia Kieli appointed as Discovery's new head of Africa, Europe and the Middle East.

Kasia Kieli has been appointed as the new head of Discovery Networks International's Africa, Europe and Middle East region, with the title of president and managing director of EMEA, effective immediately.

Kasia Kieli has been with Discovery for 17 years and has managed operations across 112 markets.

"Kasia Kieli has demonstrated great vision and determination with unmatched expertise in managing what is probably one of the most complex and diverse regions in the world," says Jean-Briac Perrette, CEO and president of Discovery Networks International.

"EMEA represents our largest region in terms of revenue as well as the focus of considerable investment in the past and big ambition for the future."

"I have no doubt that under Kasia's strong and effective leadership, we will see our combined EMEA organization continue to grow to new heights and in unimaginable ways."

Kasia Kieli says "I joined Discovery in 2000 because I loved the brand, believed in its values and saw the opportunities it was creating".

"I still share that very same excitement with millions of viewers who come to watch our programs every day to be entertained, inspired, and amazed."

"After 17 years, my belief in Discovery is stronger than ever. It is an exhilarating time as we can now offer our fans so many new ways to engage with the content they love through multiple partnerships, platforms and devices".

Marinella Soldi becomes chief strategy officer for Discovery Networks International EMEA, and managing director of Southern Europe.

James Gibbons meanwhile has been appointed as general manager for the United Kingdom/Ireland, Australia and New Zealand and head of commercial development EMEA.

The moves come after Discovery appointed Susanna Dinnage as the first global president for Animal Planet (DStv 183).

MultiChoice CEO Collins Khumalo: 'Welcome back to South Africa and Africa, Oprah!'

"Over 4,5 million DStv subscribers in South Africa and over 2 million DStv subscribers across the continent will be able to tune in to the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) programming block on Thursdays as well as on Sundays on TLC Entertainment," said Collins Khumalo (below), CEO of MultiChoice South Africa.

"To Oprah, welcome back to South Africa and to Africa," said Collins Khumalo who spoke at the exclusive VIP reception and the official launch event of TLC Entertainment and OWN on DStv held Monday afternoon in Johannesburg.

"TLC has been a real success for us internationally, including here in South Africa," said Kasia Kieli (above), the managing director and president of Discovery Networks for the Central& Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa (CEEMEA) region at the launch event.

"We're looking forward to the new TLC Entertainment with an Oprah Winfrey OWN programming block on it. Some of Oprah Winfrey's shows were seen on TLC already, such as the interview with Lance Armstrong, an incredible documentary about Oprah's school here, and there's more of that going to be shown on a regular basis," said Kasia Kieli.

"I also want to thank our partners at DStv to make it possible for us. It's really wonderful for us to take this partnership to a next level."

"Im really excited," said Oprah Winfrey. "I have a deep love for your country and from the very beginning of our launch in the United States of the Oprah Winfrey Network I was saying to my partner David Zaslav: 'I think people really like me in South Africa."

"Everywhere I go I still run into people who say: 'We miss your show, we miss your show.' And now I say that now on Thursdays and on Sundays you can see me again," said Oprah Winfrey.

"I'm really thrilled. This is the way we should have done it in the United States. OWN should have started with a few shows that we really, really, really powerfully believed in and then have built from there," said Oprah Winfrey.

"So we are learning from all the challenges that we've had, that the way to build the audience and to grow the audience is to start small, but strong, with programming that you believe in. So Oprah's Next Chapter and the documentary about my girls' school in South Africa really represents the heart of OWN."

Oprah, MultiChoice and Discovery executives, and the press, toast the start of TLC Entertainment and OWN on DStv in South Africa.

On Monday afternoon I attended the VIP reception for Oprah Winfrey at Summer Place in Hyde Park where MultiChoice, Discovery Networks International and Oprah Winfrey officially launched the new Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) programming block on the new TLC Entertainment (DStv 172) channel on DStv.

In attendance were Oprah Winfrey, as well as the top-tier executives from both MultiChoice and Discovery Network International for the region, a small group of selected journalists and editors from across South Africa, as well as a few selected ad sales clients, all buzzing about meeting the media mogul.

Eben Greyling, CEO of pay-TV platforms at Naspers; Imtiaz Patel, group CEO of MultiChoice South Africa; Collins Khumalo, CEO of MultiChoice South Africa; Aletta Alberts, general manager of content at MultiChoice South Africa, and several other content and marketing executives from MultiChoice were on hand to personally meet and listen to Oprah Winfrey.

From Discovery Networks International (DNI) in Europe jetted in a phalanx of executives to the exclusive TLC and OWN launch event such as Kasia Kieli, the president and managing director for Discovery Networks International's Central & Eastern Europe, Middle East & Africa (CEEMEA) region.

I also spoke to Lee Hobbs, the channel director for emerging business for Discovery Networks CEEMEA and James Gibbons, the senior vice president and country manager for emerging business for Discovery Networks CEEMEA, who stayed until late with MultiChoice executives and clearly had a great time at the event.

I also had some time to catch up with the doyenne of South African women's magazines, Jane Raphaely, the editor-in-chief of O The Oprah Magazine SA and the chairperson of Associated Media Publishing; and I chatted to the always awesome Samantha Page, the editor of O The Oprah Magazine SA.

Discovery asked journalists not to take any photos during the event. The food and drink throughout was top class and guests were welcomed with champagne.

Oprah Winfrey made the rounds after the official speeches when everyone went outside during the wonderful Johannesburg sunny afternoon and she talked with Discovery and MultiChoice executives.

Last year in June I bought the large and beautiful $50 high gloss coffee table book, The Oprah Winfrey Show - Reflections on an American Legacy, since books about television and TV shows is what I absolutely love to collect.

I was there before as a journalist several years ago when Oprah Winfrey was in South Africa previously to give her first O Magazine inspirational talk in Johannesburg.

I also saw her again when she was in Somerset West, and again at the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens event, but when I got the TLC Entertainment OWN DStv invitation - and since I bought the book last year - I thought I would take it with me and ask if she would please maybe sign it.

"Ooh, good one!" said Oprah Winfrey when I took it out of my bag and handed her the pen. She wrote this on one of the book's golden inside pages: