After days the struggling Cell C now admits that it yanked all its TV channels as its Cell C black streaming service is cut down; first said that the black blackout is because of 'difficulties' that its IT division is trying to resolve.

With chaos inside the struggling and cash-strapped Cell C, the company on Tuesday finally admitted after days of no answers that it had to cut all its TV channels from its Cell C black video streaming service that is being downsized, after first saying the Cell C black blackout is because of "difficulties" that its IT division is "trying to resolve in a timely manner".

Cell C black started to apologise "for the blackout you're currently experiencing" just before the past weekend when Cell C black customers were confronted with a sad face emoji on-screen message instead of the carousel of live linear TV channels on the service.

In a note to scared Cell C black customers that TVwithThinus obtained, Cell C told concerned Cell C black subscribers to "kindly note that there is a current technical disruption with all live TV channels on the black portal".

"We humbly apologise for the inconvenience and would like to assure you that your black experience is important to us. We will update you on the progress once feedback from our IT department is received".

Now the blackout, "difficulties", "technical disruption" and problem that IT had to solve has been turned into a deliberate Cell C service cut, which means that either Cell C black lied to customers or that Cell C black executives and staffers didn't know and themselves were not aware that the TV channels service was abruptly being shut down.

Cell C on Tuesday responded to questions in a media enquiry from TVwithThinus made earlier, saying that Cell C had made a decision to review its Cell C black content strategy "in particular its linear channels and enter into negotiations with its content providers".

Cell C didn't say why it failed to warn the South African TV industry and its paying subscribers beforehand that the channels would go dark leading to speculation that it is channel suppliers who revoked access to their content over non-payment causing the black blackout crisis.

"We are taking the right steps to right-size the business, focusing on revenue generating activities and cutting costs where necessary. Our decision to reconfigure our product and services is part of putting the business on the right track," said Douglas Craigie Stevenson, Cell C CEO, in a supplied statement on Tuesday.

"We need to move forward based on a roadmap that is robust, profitable and in the best interests of Cell C and its customers. "Content remains part of the broader strategy and will continue to be offered, albeit in a different format."

Cell C said that "Cell C black customers will continue to have access to music, series and movies even though linear channels have been temporarily suspended. All impacted linear subscribers will receive alternative black products and services."

Besides offering a catalogue of on-demand programming including series and films, Cell C black also offered a carousel of linear TV channels ranging from entertainment and news to sports, music and lifestyle that viewers could watch through the video streaming service, exactly similar as to using a rooftop satellite dish like DStv or StarSat.

The 40 linear TV channels on Cell C black ranged from FOX and National Geographic, to TNT, Trace and Al Jazeera.

Cell C launched Cell C black, accessed through its own set-top box (STB) called the blackBOX, as well as through web browsers in November 2017 to compete with MultiChoice’s Showmax, Netflix South Africa and Amazon Prime Video in the growing but video streaming consumer market.

The Cell C black channels shutdown brings the Cell C black service perilously close to the group of already terminated and failed video streaming services in South Africa ranging from VIDI and the Altech Node to OnTapTV, Kwesé Play and Kwesé TV and others.

ALSO READ: Cell C black blackout as all its channels abruptly disappear without warning or explanation and customers fear a product implosion similar to Econet Media's shuttered Kwesé TV.

Struggling Econet puts its shuttered and debt-riddled Econet Media and Kwesé up for sale in 29 countries including its 20%-stake in South Africa's new free-to-air Kwesé Free TV licensed venture.

Zimbabwe's struggling Econet Wireless Ltd. - that has seen its ambitious pay-TV business Kwesé TV implode under a mountain of debt with services ranging from its abruptly shuttered Kwesé Play streaming service to TV channels like Kwesé Play Free Sports go dark - has put up a "for sale" sign for Econet Media for all of its businesses across Southern Africa and Dubai.

Interestingly this includes its 20%-stake in Kwesé Free TV, the free-to-air, commercial TV station that got a licence from South Africa's broadcasting regulator earlier this year to start a new bouquet of freely available TV channels in South Africa.

It's not clear how the sale and proposed sale of Econet's stake in Kwesé Free TV will affect its TV licence, with the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa) that has done nothing so far to investigate and re-interrogate the granted licence given the changing conditions of ownership under which the original licence was granted.

Bloomberg reported on Friday that Econet is now offering up its Econet Media unit, housing the damaged Kwesé brands, for sale.

Ernst & Young Ltd. ran a full-page newspaper advertisement, saying that it will oversee offers for all or part of the company's shareholdings in 29 businesses in Botswana, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Zambia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, Malawi, Mauritius, Ghana, Kenya and Dubai.

It remains to be seen whether companies and rivals operating in South Africa, ranging from the MultiChoice Group, M-Net, and Netflix, to China's StarTimes, telecom operators like Vodacom and MTN or other players might be interested in any of the severely reputation-damaged Econet Media debt-mess.

The shutdown of the embattled Econet's business ventures keeps rippling as it abruptly shuttered its whole Econet Media division which included Kwesé iflix as latest victim.

The debt-laden Econet that has not paid retrenched staffers their severance money and told them it doesn't know when it will be able to, has seen its Kwese TV pay-TV division abruptly shut down and placed into liquidation, its TV channels like Kwesé Free Sports abruptly go dark and off air without warning, and its Kwesé Play streaming service and Roku-device terminated.

Now Econet,owned by the Zimbabwean billionaire Strive Masiyiwa, has been forced to shut down its entire Econet Media subsidiary where Joseph Hundah has been Econet Media CEO and that racked up more than $130 million in debt in content costs including expensive sports rights and other services.

Econet has said nothing about its alleged bad management, rapid and aggressive expansion plans and cash splurges, bad and often non-existent customer care and foolish content acquisition strategies that were all self-inflicted damage that led to Econet Media's downfall and implosion.

Econet said in July that its beleaguered pay-TV and TV business struggled to compete with China's StarTimes and MultiChoice's DStv.

Meanwhile several current and former South African workers of Econet who are enduring living hell but who were once "promised heaven" if they join Kwesé TV, showed TVwithThinus correspondence of them not having been paid their severance packages after being retrenched and Econet executives telling them that there isn't money and that they can't give answers as to when they will be paid.

The shutdown of the embattled Econet keeps rippling as it abruptly shutters its whole Econet Media division which includes Kwesé iflix as latest victim.

The expanding shutdown of the embattled Econet's divisions keeps rippling through the embattled business with Econet that has now abruptly shuttered its whole Econet Media division as well, that includes its Kwesé iflix streaming service as apparently the latest victim of its cash-crunch.

The debt-laden Econet that has not paid retrenched staffers their severance money and told them it doesn't know when it will be able to, has seen its Kwese TV pay-TV division abruptly shut down and placed into liquidation, its TV channels like Kwesé Free Sports abruptly go dark and off air without warning, and its Kwesé Play streaming service and Roku-device terminated.

Now Econet,owned by the Zimbabwean billionaire Strive Masiyiwa, has been forced to shut down its entire Econet Media subsidiary where Joseph Hundah has been Econet Media CEO and that racked up more than $130 million in debt in content costs including expensive sports rights and other services, with Econet Media that housed Kwesé TV, Kwesé Play and Kwesé Iflix.

The Econet Group in a statement says that "The Econet Group regrets to confirm that Econet Media Limited has ceased operations with effect from 5 August 2019".

"It is a difficult decision that we could not postpone. Over the last 4 years we sought to disrupt Africa’s media landscape and enable Africa to tell its own stories using a variety of technologies including satellite broadcast, video streaming and free-to-air TV."

"The Econet Group invested heavily into Econet Media and supported the business over the period it operated without any third-party funding. Unfortunately, market conditions and content price inflation got in the way of us completing our mission."

"We are particularly grateful to all our dedicated staff and contractors who have worked tirelessly to bring a great product to market and who until the last day believed in the Kwesé story. We are also grateful to our customers and our partners who believed in the Kwesé vision and who worked with us as we tried to change how Africans consume and pay for media."

"We deeply regret the impact that this decision has had on our staff, contractors, customers, regulators and content providers."

"We will engage with each of our valued stakeholders transparently and will seek to meet our obligations to each of them as provided under law."

"The Econet Group is entrepreneurial and believes in Africa and its potential. Our belief in 'an inclusive connected future that leaves no African behind' remains undaunted."

"We would like to emphasise and reiterate that the rest of the Econet Group businesses continue to operate normally as each of our companies are separate legal entities with their own management teams and boards."

In its statement, Econet mentions nothing about its alleged bad management, rapid and aggressive expansion plans and cash splurges, bad and often non-existent customer care and foolish content acquisition strategies that were all self-inflicted damage that led to Econet Media's downfall and implosion. 

Econet said in July that its beleaguered pay-TV and TV business struggled to compete with China's StarTimes and MultiChoice's DStv.

Meanwhile several current and former South African workers of Econet who are enduring living hell but who were once "promised heaven" if they join Kwesé TV, showed TVwithThinus correspondence of them not having been paid their severance packages after being retrenched and Econet executives telling them that there isn't money and that they can't give answers as to when they will be paid.


ALSO READ: Embattled Econet announces it will be shutting down its struggling Kwesé TV entirely on Monday 5 August 2019 after owing R1.9 billion to third-party content providers.
ALSO READ: Living hell after Kwesé implosion: Massive problems, fear, secrecy, non-payment and scared staffers at Econet Kwesé TV in South Africa where workers were once "promised heaven".

Econet Media finally admits that its Kwesé Play device is dead as a brick and that the Kwesé Play video streaming service is being liquidated; process of voluntary retrenchments across organisation happening.

Econet Media is finally admitting to the public and its customers that its struggling video streaming service Kwesé Play is done and that the Roku Kwesé Play devices are now worthless bricks that will never work again, with Kwesé Play that is being liquidated.

A process of voluntary retrenchments is taking place across the business.

Meanwhile the Kwesé Free Sports channel from Econet carried on eMedia Investments' Openview satellite pay-TV platform has also gone dark, while Econet insiders have shared internal emails notifying them of retrenchments and that Kwesé Play won't continue.

While Kwesé Play customers in Zimbabwe can get a refund, there is no word on where it leaves South African Kwesé Play subscribers stuck with a service and the customised media players that no longer work.

"It is with deep regret that we are today announcing the liquidation of Kwesé Play. A few weeks ago, Roku, our technology platform partners, deactivated all the Kwesé Play devices in our markets and customers have been unable to use them to watch Netflix, YouTube and other apps on their TVs," says Econet in a statement.

"We’ve spent considerable time negotiating with Roku in order to reactivate the devices, but have unfortunately been unsuccessful. This means that the Kwesé Play devices will remain deactivated and will no longer work."

Econet's Kwesé was placed under administration at the beginning of July 2019 with the African pay-TV operator's Kwesé Play streaming service that abruptly shut down and stopped working although Econet lied and said it's only temporary.

There's no clarity yet on how Econet's growing financial troubles will affect South Africa's just awarded Kwesé Free TV licence that is supposed to be the country's new free-to-air TV channel and in which Econet Media has a 20% stake.

Kwesé CEO Joseph Hundah confirmed to Business Day in July that its beleaguered pay-TV business that struggled to compete with China's StarTimes and MultiChoice's DStv has been placed under administration and that Econet has appointed Ernst & Young to manage the process.

Now Kwesé Play is being liquidated. The Kwesé Play streaming service offered through Roku devices in South Africa since September 2017 suddenly shut down without any warning to customers on 3 July for users in South Africa and across Southern Africa, simply saying "Econet no longer offers Kwesé Play. For more information contact Econet".

On 22 July in an internal communique to Econet staffers that TVwithThinus saw, Econet already told staffers then that Kwesé Play "has been discontinued as it is not an economically viable business", and that the company is starting a process of voluntary retrenchments.

Last week Kwesé Play told customers in Zimbabwe and elsewhere but not South Africa, that "the Kwesé Play service will no longer be available in Zimbabwe" and is offering customers "airtime equivalent to the purchase value of the Kwesé Play Roku device you acquired" with the offer that is only valid until 15 August 2019.

Econet didn't respond to a media enquiry.

BREAKING. It's over for Econet Media's once-hot Kwesé TV: Kwesé pulls the plug on its satellite pay-TV ambitions as Kwesé branded sports and entertainment channels, most third-party channels scrapped, focus shifted to Kwesé Free Sports and Kwesé iflix, Kwesé Play streaming services.

Africa's latest satellite pay-TV upstart, Kwesé TV, is abruptly downsizing and ending its lofty direct-to-home (DTH) satellite TV plans to focus on a single branded sports channel and its streaming services.

After rapidly burning through millions, with aggressive content and country presence expansion across sub-Saharan Africa the past three years only to become ensnared by multiple missed payments and cancelled content deals due to cash flow problems, Econet Media, a subsidiary of Econet Wireless, is downscaling its once-lofty plans for a satellite pay-TV service.

Kwesé TV is scrapping its self-packaged and branded Kwesé general entertainment channels, removing all Kwesé branded sports channels except for the Kwesé Free Sports channel, and also getting rid of the majority of third-party acquired TV channels on its Kwesé TV bouquet.

The truncated Kwesé TV will henceforth just carry some free-to-air (FTA) channels, some news channels and some faith-based channels for a small fee, with Kwesé TV that will no longer require monthly subscription fees. Kwesé TV subscribers who have prepaid will get a refund.

To stop the bleeding, Kwesé TV run by Econet Media president and CEO Joseph Hundah will now focus on the Kwesé Free Sports channel (KFS) and providing streaming services through its mobile video-on-demand (VOD) service Kwesé iflix and its over-the-top (OTT) video streaming Kwesé Play brands.

Kwesé Play carries streaming channels like Red Bull TV, NBA, YouTube, TED and Bloomberg financial news.

Econet Media will also keep its Kwesé Studios and will continue investments in developing its own original programming with the help of African producers.

In an internal memo to staffers, Joseph Hundah says "We will streamline our direct-to-home, satellite television service. This means we will reduce our third-party channels as well as remove our own Kwesé-branded sports and general entertainment channels except Kwesé Free Sports".

Staffers are told in the memo that "We are in the process of reviewing our operational structures across our markets, which may result in changes across various business units".

Econet Media rapidly expanded its satellite pay-TV business with a presence in 11 African markets, excluding South Africa, with a free-to-air presence across 27 countries and sub-licensing content - mostly sport - across 37 countries.

That rapid expansion however came at a big cost as Econet Media's Kwesé TV burned through cash, signing deals with ESPN and partnering with VICE Media, trying to establish a foothold in the fierce Africa pay-TV market.

For the past three years Econet Media's Kwesé TV splashed the cash in a satellite TV market dominated by Naspers' MultiChoice in South Africa and across sub-Saharan Africa; as well as China's aggressive StarTimes making major inroads throughout Africa and operating under the StarSat brand in South Africa.

Kwesé TV especially went hard with signing up sports rights to compete with MultiChoice's SuperSport, going as far as sub-licensing and partnering with community channels in South Africa like Soweto TV and 1KZN to show boxing matches and NBA, to try and lure viewers to its offering.

After the past year and a half during which it became evident that the burning hot Kwesé TV's wheels is starting to come off as details about scuppered deals and late payments emerged, Econet Media has now capitulated, and is reorganising to focus on streaming services.

The past few months Kwesé TV suddenly started dumping TV channels as deals with the FOX Networks Group and other channel distributors got scrapped and derailed, in addition to multiple missed payments and cancelled deals including for content from FIFA, UEFA, Formula One, EPL, ESPN, NBA and the beIN Media Group.

Kwesé Free Sports - a pan-African free-to-air channel available in 27 African countries, including in South Africa on eMedia Investments' Openview free-to-air satellite platform - will now remain one of Kwesé TV's three core services.

Kwesé Free Sports has been showing Premier League matches, NBA, various FIFA tournaments including the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia and leagues, NFL, AVIVA Premiership rugby as well as sport-themed magazine shows like ESPN's SportCenter.


'Changes will safeguard the success of our business'
In a statement to TVwithThinus in response to a media enquiry on Thursday afternoon about the shuttering of channels on Kwesé TV, Joseph Hundah says "We believe these changes will safeguard the future success of our business as we continue to make an indelible impact on Africa's media industry".

"The revised business strategy will also ensure that Kwesé TV continues to remain competitive within the industry."

"Refocusing our business offering across markets is a strategic move which aligns our business to OTT and video-on-demand trends which present significant growth opportunities for Kwesé. This renewed focus on digital services will see us provide new compelling offers for our customer’s enjoyment."

"Additionally, through the development of the Kwesé Studios content hub, Econet Media will now have a legitimate claim to being the home of African content, as we will now create a place where Africans can tell their own stories and shape their own narrative."

"Kwesé's entry into the market had a game changing impact on the media industry. With these changes, we believe Kwesé will continue to positively disrupt the industry for the benefit of African consumers, as we continue to provide affordable premium content through digital media services."

Econet Media says that as a consequence of the revised business model it is "reviewing its operational structures across all markets where Kwesé TV has presence which may result in changes to the company's various business units".

Kwesé TV adds FOX, FOX Life, National Geographic and Nat Geo WILD in new 4 channel carriage deal with FOX Networks Group.

The satellite pay-TV platform Kwesé TV, in a new carriage deal with FOX Networks Group, has added 4 TV channels to its pay-TV platform: FOX (141), FOX Life, National Geographic (435) and Nat Geo WILD (436).

Neither Kwesé TV, run by Econet Media, not FOX Networks Group Africa (FNG Africa) issued any statement to the press, but told Kwesé TV subscribers on social media that "now you can catch great shows like Empire and Atlanta or watch your favourite channels like FOX Life and National Geographic right here on Kwesé TV!"

The 4 channels are available on Kwesé TV since 20 December.

Kwesé TV's satellite pay-TV service is currently available in Ghana, Zambia, Rwanda, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Botswana, Kenya, Nigeria and Uganda with Econet Media that plans to roll out Kwesé TV across the continent.

In South Africa a very truncated Kwesé TV service is available as the Kwesé Play streaming service offered through the Kwesé Play Roku set-top box (STB).

The STB and Kwesé Play is however severely limited in what it offers since Kwesé TV's pay-TV channels available through its traditional satellite pay-TV service elsewhere in Africa are all blocked on the device for South Africa.

The 4 channels on Kwesé TV are also part of a bigger FOX channels portfolio that was added to the new South African subscription video-on-demand service, Cell C black, in November.

Netflix: We're not in competition with MultiChoice's DStv says the global video streaming giant as it signals a bigger push into the South African market.

Netflix says it's not in competition with MultiChoice's DStv in South Africa and Africa and that any service offering compelling content to viewers as TV moves into the future, will continue thrive.

Netflix spoke to South Africa media and answered questions from the press at its first Netflix House SA media event in a lux high street Fresnaye mansion in Cape Town this week to showcase and preview it's existing and upcoming content and to hear from the press what they need - something it said it will be doing regularly from now on.

Netflix that has rapidly gained subscribers in South Africa, is making steady inroads as a brand since it launched in South Africa and across Africa in January 2016, where, besides traditional satellite pay-TV services DStv and China's StarSat, services like Naspers' Showmax, Amazon Prime Video, DEOD, ONTAPtv.com and Kwesé Play have made their appearance in a market segment of subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) services that has quickly become crowded.

When the global video streaming service was specifically asked if it's acquiring and licensing TV rights to keep it away from MultiChoice's satellite pay-TV service DStv, Netflix said that it's not acquiring show titles to stop DStv from having access to it.

"In terms of competition, we think there's room for everyone.  For us, competition is anything that's entertainment. So there's room for everyone. We're not saying that DStv shouldn't be around," Netflix told the media.

"In the United Kingdom there's always talk about the BBC and will the BBC end up dying because of Netflix? No. Because they offer something different. DStv has sports. There's always different things in every market and what Netflix is trying to do is to give people more."

Yann Lafargue, manager for technology and corporate communications at Netflix for the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region, said that "On demand viewing is just the future of entertainment".

"Competition is healthy. Nobody has the monopoly on great stories. The companies like HBO, Amazon - those who create compelling stories that people like to watch and enjoy - they're going to survive; they're going to thrive."

"The thing that is the key is the exclusivity. If we all have the same content and you can watch the same type of content everywhere - why would you subscribe to some services specifically?" said Yann Lafargue.

"It's because it's a kind of signature show. So HBO has Game of Thrones for instance. So you want to sign up for Netflix because you want to watch Stranger Things or Narcos. And we're going to have more and more of those big hits to keep you entertained and captivated and to give you a reason to subscribe to Netflix."

He said "we know we have much more titles than the competition, but it's not about volume. For us it's not like DVDs on a shelf".

"We're trying to show around 300 shows from your algorithm on your interface. And when you start looking at something, then you will start seeing more suggestions because you like Robert DeNiro shows or something like that."

"Star Trek: Discovery, Designated Survivor - those shows are available here in South Africa on Netflix but not in the United States. So there is this misconception sometimes that it's always better elsewhere, the grass is greener somewhere else, and it's not the case necessarily."

Since last month subscribers of Kwesé Play can currently subscribe through that service to Netflix and be billed in rand by having the Netflix subscription added onto the Kwesé Play account but Yann Lafargue says all South Africans will eventually be able to pay in rand and not dollar.

"It's going to come. It's just a question of making sure that all the modes of payment - credit card, debit card and Paypal - everything could be shifted to rand. As Netflix grows and localises and create partnerships we do see that currency integration".

"What we see in some markets is that when you're new, people don't necessarily trust you. When you're a new brand, people wonder can I enter my credit card details on your website - is it safe?"

"So what's happening is that if you already have your internet service provider or you mobile phone contract, you go 'Okay I don't pay Netflix directly but my monthly bill just adds a line and I pay my local service provider', then it's easier and it removes friction."

"So that's the type of deals and partnerships we're trying to do."

"But pretty soon - perhaps coming in a month or so - we will have a shift to that."


Netflix on piracy and password sharing
Regarding piracy of content Yenia Zaba, the Netflix manager for media relations for Europe and Africa, says "we're not going to physically fight against piracy, we know it's out there, but piracy exists mainly because of two reasons."

"Piracy is there because content isn't accessible in another way, and B, it's not affordable."

"We don't have numbers for South Africa, but in many countries where piracy was really big - the Nordics, Australia - piracy dropped by 30% thanks to Netflix," says Yann Lafargue. "When you make it easy and the quality [of how people can watch it] is better, people move away from piracy."

"And also the frustration when you feel like a second-rung citizen - that was the case in South Africa, that was the case in France, or Germany, where you had to wait 2 years to get a TV show to become available to you, and you really want to watch it because on social media you hear about this great show - you're going to find a way to watch it."

"Netflix gives you a show, it's in South Africa, it's in France, it's in Finland, it's in South Korea, it's in the United States at the same time. So there's no incentive to do it [piracy]. And we also have 30 days for free."

In terms of password sharing between people, Yann Lafargue says "as long as it remains within the family circle I think it's fine. If you have a $7.99 plan, there's only one person who can watch at the same time."

"So if you give it to 10 of your friends, it's good, but if one of them is watching, you will be locked out of your own account. You won't be able to watch for what you're paying, so why would you do that?"

"It's fine if you want to show a piece of content to someone, but at the end of the day it's self-regulating."

"It's good also in new markets, so it's fine I guess in South Africa if you're at a coffee shop and you're telling your friend about these great documentaries that you've seen, or these amazing movies and go 'Oh, it's on Netflix, have a look, watch it'. And maybe they think I should get it as well. So it's kind of good because it's free advertising."

"We don't really have a strong stance against it, it's self-regulating by itself at the same time. And as long as it remains within a family, it's more or less okay."

"Also its more often teenagers. But when they first start working and get their first income, they often go 'I want my own account' and can afford it."

Vice Media coming to South Africa and sub-Saharan Africa as Kwesé VICE in partnership with Econet Media's Kwesé TV; will open production studio and ad agency in Johannesburg.

Vice Media that runs TV channels like Viceland is coming to South Africa and sub-Saharan Africa with its content and will produce new local African content as part of a joint venture with Econet Media that runs Kwesé TV.

The joint venture between Kwesé TV and Vice Media will be known as Kwesé VICE.

Content from Vice Media, like its weekly documentary and news show VICE that's similar to Carte Blanche, was briefly broadcast by M-Net on MultiChoice's DStv in mid-2014.

Kwesé VICE will launch in 2018 and will produce original programming from its Johannesburg headquarters, with satellite offices in Nairobi, Kenya as well as in Lagos, Nigeria.

With Kwesé that is rapidly expanding its presence in Johannesburg from its South African head office in Bryanston, Kwesé Studios signage is for instance also already visible at the front entrance of the Urban Brew Studios lot in Randburg.

While Econet Media isn't yet allowed or licensed to operate its Kwesé TV service in South Africa as either an over-the-top or direct-to-home (DTH) offering, it last month launched its Kwesé Play Roku device in South Africa integrating a partnership with Netflix.

Moving forward Kwesé TV will be the home of the Viceland channel in sub-Saharan Africa as part of Kwesé TV's ongoing expansion across 45 African countries.

Besides the content division Kwesé VICE is establishing, it will also be housing a local African unit of Vice Media's ad agency, Virtue Worldwide in Johannesburg.

Vice Media says it will "hire the best young creatives, journalists and filmmakers locally, and air tailored lifestyle and culture programming across linear and digital platforms around-the-clock for the young audience in Africa."

"Continuing to build on what’s been a flourishing partnership with Econet over the past year, we're excited to be fully launching Vice across the region," says Matt Elek, CEO of Vice Media for the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region in a statement.

"Pairing Econet Media's extensive local knowledge and innovative distribution with Vice's creative powerhouse and storytelling expertise, we're committed to delivering a fresh new voice for Africa's diverse youth audiences".

Joseph Hundah, president and CEO of Econet Media says "this venture is particularly exciting as it adds to our offering for the youth demographic across the continent".

"VICE is an important strategic partner for us in building an innovative, future-focused media business for Africa".

Econet Media launches new TV streaming service, Kwesé Play in South Africa, partnering with Roku and Netflix Africa.

Kwesé Play is launching in South Africa as a new streaming TV service with 100 streaming channels available through its branded black digital media player set-top box, and also offering South Africans access to Netflix for a monthly fee.

Kwesé Play is part of the pan-African pay-TV service Kwesé TV that is owned and run by Econet Media.

Kwesé TV is a pay-TV service that is already available in several other African countries and just added the countries of Botswana and Zimbabwe.

Kwesé Play is partnering with Roku and Netflix in Africa to offer the streaming channels and Netflix can for the first time be paid in South African rand.

The set of Kwesé TV's pay-TV channels available through its traditional satellite pay-TV service elsewhere in Africa is however blocked on the device for South Africa and not available, and can't be paid for or streamed through the device.

Econet, through the Kwesé Play Roku, however plans to roll out the Kwesé TV pay-TV functionality in South Africa eventually.

Kwesé is now targeting competitors head-on in the new South African TV arms race for not just space on the TV stand but also viewers' time, attention and their money.

Kwesé and its Kwesé Play is the latest TV service entrant to enter the fray where Naspers's satellite pay-TV giant MultiChoice and its DStv service, Naspers' subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) service Showmax, and other pay-TV players ranging from the Chinese StarTimes Media SA and On Digital Media's StarSat and other SVOD services like DEOD and ONTAPtv are battling for viewers' wallets.

Kwesé Play will target South African viewers who have ADSL, as well as fibre-to-home and LTE broadband users with its little black box that give access to 100 video-on-demand channels, including the American sports channels ESPN, NBA, Red Bull TV and things like YouTube, Iflix and TED Talks.

Kwesé Play users who have to buy the box for R1 599 don't pay a monthly subscription fee - just like Platco Digital's OpenView HD (OVHD) free-to-air satellite service for instance.

Kwesé Play Roku users will however have to pay for the large amounts of data needed to stream content through the device, with TV content streaming that remains data intensive and expensive in South Africa.

Kwesé Play Roku users also have to pay if they want to use Netflix.

Kwesé in a statement says it wants to be "Africa's source for the best in international and African programming".

The launch of Kwesé Play in South Africa comes in the same week and just 3 days after MultiChoice announced that it's bundling Showmax for free with DStv Premium subscriptions.

Partnering with Netflix for sub-Saharan Africa, Kwesé Play subscribers using Netflix as a SVOD on the box, can be billed by Kwesé in local African currencies, starting with the rand.

Kwesé Play viewers can pay their monthly Netflix add-on subscription fee through the Kwesé Play device.

Netflix subscriptions through Kwesé Play will, at launch, cost R129.99 per month (Basic in SD resolution), R164.99 per month (Standard in HD resolution)) and R199.99 per month (Premium with HD resolution) depending on the package.

The Roku media box is approved by South Africa's broadcasting regulator, the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa) and users can watch content in high definition (HD) in 720p and 1080p.

The Kwesé Play Roku that comes with a HDMI cable, also has a microSD card slot, and supports WiFi and has an ethernet port.

The Kwesé Play streaming box is the first set-top box in Africa to officially include Netflix as a service, says Kwesé. The remote control has a branded red Netflix shortcut button and a purple Kwesé shortcut button.

South Africans who sign up for Kwesé Play before the end of January 2018 will get a 3 months free Netflix subscription.

Kwesé Play can be brought through takealot.com, FNB, VOX and at Cellucity, Ellies and Incredible Connection.

"The number of connected homes in Africa continues to grow at an impressive rate and we expect to see strong uptake of Netflix in our markets," says Joseph Hundah, Econet Media president and CEO in a statement about the Kwesé Play and Netflix Africa tie-up.

"The current number of active subscribers is a fraction of what we both believe the potential to be. We see this as an opportunity to expand Kwesé's multi-platform offering while bringing the best in original general entertainment to households across the continent".

Maria Ferreras, Netflix vice president of business development for the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region says "African customers are demonstrating their enthusiasm and appetite for internet television and we believe they should be able to access the best shows in the world at the same time as everyone else, without the restrictions of a linear schedule."

"We're working hard to make this a reality and we are thrilled to be working with Kwesé to make it easier for people to access and enjoy our service."

Netflix has several American shows and upcoming new shows exclusive to the platform ranging from Shadowhunters and Designated Survivor to Marvel's The Defenders. The new Star Trek: Discovery will for instance start to roll out internationally and in Africa and South Africa on Netflix from the end of this month.

Here's the channels available on Kwesé Play in South Africa at launch with more channels that will continue to be added:

Series
Netflix
M2M
America's Funniest Home Videos
Family TV
iComedy
Made for TV

Kids content
Happy Kids 2
Appu Series
Popeye Channel
Looney Tune Network
Toon Goggles
Kids Bop
Space Bop

Movies
The Movie Channel

Sports
RedBull TV
Driving Sports

Music
YouTube
TuneIn
AccuRadio (offering 850 music radio channels)

News
Al Jazeera
Russia Today (RT)
izzit.org
The Real News Network
World News

Lifestyle
TED Talks
iFood
DayStar
TBN
Indian Recipes
Chinese Recipes
Cake Recipes
Drinks
Baking
iEducation
iQ2
The Design Network