Tag Archives: MTN Group

MTN unveils Voice film, teams with TBTM

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Voice aims to show that a person’s voice can change the world

African telecommunications company MTN Group has debuted a short film called Voice, the second part of its brand refresh aimed at empowering young people in Africa.

The film highlights how a simple part of life, in this case your voice, can impact and change the way people see the world and inspire progress.

The short comes after MTN in February launched its new logo and brand campaign to anchor its strategy, Ambition 2025, to build leading digital solutions that enable Africa’s progress across the telecom, fintech, infrastructure, API and content and messaging ecosystem.

In addition, MTN has collaborated with TBTM Studios, the entertainment arm of Dubai-based AMP Global Technologies, to sponsor season three of music competition The Mic: Africa, an interactive talent search programme aimed at empowering and uncovering talented youth across the continent.

Through this, MTN said it aims to inspire everyone that their voice matters. The Mic: Africa will be accessible to the public on premium free TV app Ayoba. The release date for The Mic: Africa has yet to be announced.

Bernice Samuels, MTN marketing executive, said: “Africa’s youth are at the core of this potential and progress, and our brand refresh centres on them as they hold the future in their hands.

“With the Voice brand film, we hope to inspire in them that their voices matter, and to use the power of their voice to impact positive change and advance the progress of everyone on the continent.”

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MTN, DStv in Brand Africa’s top 100 list

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Thebe Ikalafeng

Telecoms company MTN Group and pay TV operator DStv have won places in marketing body Brand Africa’s list of the top 100 most admired brands on the continent.

The list for 2022, which looked at Nigeria, West Africa and Africa as a whole, was compiled by Johannesburg-based company Brand Africa and was revealed at a ceremony held in Lagos, Nigeria.

MTN ranked as the most admired African brand, while MultiChoice-owned DStv was named top media name, followed by the BBC and CNN in that category. Broadcaster Channels TV was the most admired Nigerian media brand.

Overall, taking into account both African and non-African brands, US footwear maker Nike took the top spot once again as most admired brand in Africa, as it did in 2021 and 2020. Overall, only 17 of the top 100 brands originated in Africa, including MTN (10th place), Globacom (32nd) and DStv (37th).

Thebe Ikalafeng, founder of Brand Africa, said: “No one can do Africa better than Africans.” But he acknowledged that Africans often undervalue the continent’s brands, which is why he launched Brand Africa in 2010, to drive collaboration promoting African places, products and people.

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StarNews Mobile partners Black & Sexy

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Sexless follows the love lives of four female friends

StarNews Mobile, a network of mobile video channels that allows celebrities and brands to monetise their fan bases in Africa, has partnered with US entertainment network Black & Sexy TV to make its series available to mobile users in Africa.

Among the series included in the initiative is reality series Sexless, which follows four female friends as they take on love, romantic expectations, intimacy and friendships while abstaining from sex.

Dennis Dortch

Javicia Leslie, the first black actress to play Batwoman, stars in later episodes of Sexless, which are anticipated to join the platform at a later date. StarNews Mobile users will have access to 45 exclusive episodes of the series.

Dennis Dortch, co-founder and CEO of Black & Sexy TV, said: “We have enjoyed servicing a small, yet mighty and highly engaged subscriber base in several African countries. Their biggest ask was always about when we would start to distribute our premium content in their local markets, so it’s energising to finally deliver on this demand.

“We are excited to experiment with using fun, bite-sized-episode formats that are more appropriate for the highly mobile-forward consumption habits of these audiences. It has been a long-time dream for us to make a stronger connection to our people across the African diaspora, and we are honoured to be the first US content partner with StarNews.”

Guy Kamgaing, founder and CEO of StarNews Mobile, said: “Mobile users in Africa have significantly less access to entertainment due to expensive data plans and are lacking content tailored to their region. With the addition of Black & Sexy TV to our network, not only is this the first time we have released US entertainment in South Africa, but it is also the first time we have released serialised content on the continent.

“We are now offering fans’ previously unattainable content that they love and want. We’re excited to expand our partnerships and project huge growth in the next few months.”

StarNews Mobile also partnered with mobile operator MTN Group to deliver content to mobile users. StarNews Mobile users receive a code to their device from MTN that allows the user to subscribe and stream channels and new episodes on their mobile devices without having to use their data.

Black & Sexy TV will be available on StarNews Mobile in Nigeria in the first quarter of 2021.

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Brands key to Nigerian format growth

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MIPFORMATS: One of Nigeria’s prominent producers believes the region’s formats industry is at a tipping point, fuelled by growing investment from brands.

Neil Oyenekan

Neil Oyenekan, MD/CEO of Lagos-based Lighthouse Television & Filmworks, said funding from clients and their advertising agencies has become as important as that of TV networks, adding that the next few months will be crucial for the industry’s progression.

“Independent production companies are key to content creation in Nigeria but brand agencies are too,” said Oyenekan, who was speaking on a panel discussion here in Cannes about whether Nigeria will host the next formats boom.

So far, he said, the country’s biggest hits have been tried and tested adaptations of international formats such as Big Brother and Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.

But Oyenekan said that his company is close to unveiling a new format with African mobile telecoms company MTN Group, with details yet to be revealed, and claimed brands have been powering growth.

“We are only just getting to the phase where we are receiving investment and it’s coming from brands, not networks. By Mipcom we’ll be at a better point,” he added.

“Nigeria has a growing economy where brand investment is important and the Nollywood crowd is waiting to find the next big format. Upsurge in infrastructure is also happening, where big studios are being built – now all that’s missing is the content.”

Oyenekan was speaking at a conference session in Cannes, France, titled The Producers Toolbox: Will Nigeria Host The Next Format Boom? Four speakers addressed the topic, discussing the TV industry in Nigeria and the efforts to develop original TV formats and content for domestic and international markets.

Also on the panel were Chichi Nwoko, CEO of Hey, What’s On?; Olasupo Odebiyi, creative director of Pixelator Multimedia; and Duncan Irvine, CEO of TV production company Rapid Blue.

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