Simba - CC image courtesy of the Disney Wiki.
Simbarashe Mabasha, director of the Afrikan Dust Media Group, has said mobile video has the potential, through content, to accelerate the uptake of smartphones and faster networks in Africa.
Speaking at the LTE Africa conference in Cape Town, Mabasha began his presentation with a story of principle, which translates to sharing and collaboration, and is applicable to companies such as the Afrikan Dust Media Group providing quality mobile video content to Africa.
“The reality is mobile video is key to maximising or monetising the infrastructure that the engineers are building… The truth of the matter is mobile video is changing very quickly,” said Mabasha.
Mabasha said there is a demand for video content in Africa and “TV is still king. People still interact with content via the television. Obviously that has to change,” he said.
He then compared TV to Mufasa, a character from the Disney classic The Lion King, meaning TV has to be retired, despite the fact that Mufasa died a “hectic death”.
Mabasha then compared mobile video to Simba (Mufasa’s son) as the “crown prince of the solution”. This is because there are more mobile devices than there are televisions.
“Mobile is a bit more dynamic,” said Mabasha. In terms of LTE’s role, Mabasha said mobile video content can drive “the continued uptake of mobile phones”.
“We think this is very important in that, the moment people have the data and the speed” the more devices will become popular.
He said in America 25 per cent of people with mobile devices are watching video, while 32 per cent of people who watch content on a tablet, are watching long form videos of TV shows and films.
Mabasha asked the question: “But what about Africa?” He said the reality within the continent is there are some solutions with regards to video content, such as broadcasters, satellite companies, cinemas “predominantly in southern Africa” and video clubs, which Mabasha believes are dying out.
“And then we have these guys,” said Mabasha, referring to street vendors selling pirated content on discs.
“These guys a very powerful, do not underestimate their ability to move quickly and distribute Nollywood [content] quickly. The problem is, for the user, it’s inconvenient, poor quality and pirated,” said Mabasha.
Furthermore, Mabasha said there are other options such as Multichoice’s DStv, which are, however, too expensive for the average African user.
The mobile video and content market is a lucrative one due to there being 118 million total internet users in Africa. Of that number, 84.4 million access the internet through their mobile devices.
Furthermore, Mabasha referred to an estimate made by the World of Avatar – a South African venture capital firm, which suggests the smartphone penetration will climb to 127 million in Africa by 2016.
With regards to the role players in mobile video, Mabasha said telecommunications companies will be able to license video content and deliver it better through internal or local Content Delivery Networks (CDNs).
Furthermore, Mabasha said it will afford the content owners better access to audiences as well as helping to diversify revenues streams for telecommunications companies on existing infrastructure.
Mabasha said CDNs and transparent caching can be used together, which will result in telecommunications companies being able to better optimise infrastructure and become media players.
“Used together, this can reduce network delivery costs for mobile video content,” said Mabasha.
In conclusion, Mabasha said “the moral of the story” is the fact that there is “massive opportunity” for mobile video consumption within the continent, cheaper data costs will increase video consumption, local cached content will improve audience experience and enterprise solutions for content owners will increase “mobile video libraries” throughout Africa.
