iflix, the Malaysia-based Netflix rival, has announced that it is stepping into Africa. The company has already set up its headquarters for the continent in Cape Town, South Africa. It will be seen offering its services gradually into the city and in Zimbabwe, Kenya, Tanzania, and Ghana, by the end of this year.
Launched in 2015, iflix is an on-demand video platform that currently serves in 18 countries including Malaysia, Indonesia, Phillipines, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Jordan, Iraq. It says over five billion minutes have been streamed on its video streaming platform. It claims to have witnessed a 27 times increase in the number of daily active accounts.
iflix will not only stream Hollywood, Bollywood, Nollywood, and more regional content, but it will be offering African shows and exclusive content series in the region. Mark Britt, Co-founder and CEO, iflix, in an official press statement said,
By 2020, Africa will have 720 million smartphone users. We aim to meet the entertainment needs of those growingly connected viewers.
Africa is already penetrated by video streaming services including Amazon Prime and Netflix. Besides this, few homegrown services also operate in the region. Andre de Wet, iflix Head of Africa, commented,
As the fastest-growing mobile market on earth, Africa is without question one of the world’s most dynamic regions…We are passionately focused on providing the broadest selection of premium content at a price everyone can afford.
iflix has raised $90 million in Series B round of funding in March and has secured $165 million in three rounds till date. It had revealed it would be utilizing the funds to bolster the content available on its platform, and also to step into new markets in Asia, Middle East, and Africa. It has
