by Thinus Ferreira
On Monday MultiChoice added two new Portuguese-language TV channels: Maningue Magic in Mozambique and Kwenda Magic in Angola - for DStv and GOtv subscribers in these two African countries, with M-Net that is producing O Rio in Portuguese for Kwenda Magic as a second localised adaptation of South Africa's The River telenovela on 1Magic.
Maningue Magic and Kwenda Magic as two new Lusophone TV channels - both produced and packaged by M-Net - will show dramas, telenovelas, localised versions of reality shows, comedies, dubbed international content
and local music from Monday 17 January.
"These channel launches are an exciting milestone for MultiChoice, and our
hyperlocal strategy," says Joao Ribeiro, Kwenda Magic and
Maningue Magic channel head.
"MultiChoice's mission is to showcase Africa's diverse, rich
culture through our continent's deep storytelling history. To have two new
24-hour channels in local languages, featuring locally produced content,
provides an incredibly powerful platform to do this."
Over the past 18 months, MultiChoice expanded its local content offering
through several new TV channel launches including Pearl Magic Prime, Akwaaba Magic and
Abol TV in Uganda, Ghana, and Ethiopia as MultiChoice prepares for the increased inaccessibility and unavailability of foreign content from Hollywood.
As Hollywood and international studios produce and funnel shows to their own video streaming services to try and build scale, they are no longer making this content available through their international distributor networks, forcing pay-TV services like MultiChoice to ramp up locally-produced and owned content.
"Until now, independent producers had few outlets for their work and had to act
on many levels, struggling to get budgets, and to have their content shown," says Joao Ribeiro about the creation of Maningue Magic and Kwenda Magic.
"With our channels requiring content 24 hours a day, we can now
invite local producers to pitch ideas, to commission and develop projects, and
to pay fair, market-related rates for work."
"By investing in the industry, we are creating opportunities for local talent,
telling local stories, and adding to the stability of the industry. We are
committed to growing the industry in countries where we operate, and to deliver
content that resonates with our viewers."
"We are commissioning work from established producers as well as smaller
companies across the continent while also creating opportunities for alumni of
the MultiChoice Talent Factory."
Fhulufhelo Badugela, MultiChoice Africa CEO, says "When we develop local
channels or produce local content, we aim to create a platform that reflects
local culture, so audiences see themselves represented in the content they
watch".
"Localisation goes beyond simply duplicating popular formats in a different
language or with a different cast. It's about incorporating a
country's social, gender and religious conventions, as well pop-culture trends
like music, influencers and celebrities into stories. This is what makes our
hyperlocal strategy unique and exciting."
Content on Maningue Magic will include the telenovela Maida,
about a naïve teenager who leaves the countryside for the big city; a Mozambican music show Estação do Boss; as well as Date My Family Moçambique that will be a local version of the hit reality dating show.
The Influencer, a
Mozambican original series will tell the story of a girl pursuing a dream to be
a digital influencer who end on a network of drugs and prostitution.
Top+ will showcase famous artists and personalities from Mozambique and Africa who
are attracting attention on social networks. Txunado is a magazine show
about Mozambican fashion, arts and lifestyle.
On Kwenda Magic, flagship shows include O Rio, an Angolan adaptation
of popular 1Magic telenovela The River; Makongo, a new drama
about a young man’s life in Luanda; and Salão de Beleza, a sitcom
about a Luanda establishment and its diverse, dramatic customers.
O Rio in Portuguese is the second adaptation of South Africa's The River, following a first adaptation in Kenya for viewers in East Africa where that version runs as Kina. Although not an adaptation, South Africa's The River is also dubbed for broadcast in Nigeria.
