africa business news gary alfonso

SESSION THREE STREAM 1: GOING BIG - Scaling Your Media Business to Build Pan-African Brands

Session Chair: Thebe Ikalafeng (Brand Africa)

Presenters: Gary Alfonso (CNBC) Nduka Obaigbena (ThisDay) Dr Tamela Hultman (Allafrica)Charles Onyango-Obbo (Nation Media Group)Marie-Roger Biloa (African International Magazine)

AFRICA BUSINESS NEWS

Established CNBC Africa in June 2007. Since then – more than 600 thousand minutes of AFRICAN content. Interviewed more than 5000 business leaders, entrepreneurs, analysts.Operational break-even – year 5. Business model – 100% advertising and sponsorships, revenue share. Launched Forbes Africa in September 2011. Initial plan – 50% local content. Response from continent – 75% local content.Profitable from day 1. Initial plan – monthly. Fortnightly by mid-2012.

CNBC Africa & Forbes Africa limited onlineABN Digital – reaching 2 million views of online videosOnline visitors – Asia, USA (Diaspora), Europe Leverage business news content – TV, print & radioNext frontier – 1 billion mobile phones in Africa

DISTRIBUTION: 4.1 MILLION DStv HOUSEHOLDS & OFFICES

BUREAU ROLL-OUT

GOAL 2011-2014:

Target media companies, broadcastersand media entrepreneurs in Sub Sahara Africa for bureau partnerships.

Terrestrial broadcast deals.

BUREAU ROLL-OUT 2011 - 2014

Namibia Zambia Ghana Mozambique UgandaRwandaAngolaMauritiusBotswanaEthiopiaSenegalDRC

*Work within legislative frameworks*In 18 countries by end 2014

CHALLENGES

• Different countries

• Different legislative frameworks & regulatory environments

• Cost of travel

• No incentives for media investments

• Political interference

• Skills shortages

• Business news as a genre – far behind general news

OPPORTUNITIES

• Massive market – 1 in 4 people by 2050 will be African

• Mobile phone market at its infancy

• Digital migration in technology will align television, mobile and digital structures

• More free information creates more opportunities for niche information

• Social media integration – more reporters, more unique content

• Storytelling

• Lower barriers to entry in new business models

Is the internet the tsunami of newspapers, radio, TV and all

things media?

THE BIG QUESTION

Content!

THE SECRET REVEALED

Thank You