India's Zee to help African productions tap into its 960 million viewers

One of India’s leading television, media and entertainment companies, Zee Entertainment Enterprises, has revealed plans to partner African producers to take African productions to the world.

With an impressive 960 million viewer-base, the entertainment outfit, which has had its footprints in Africa for the past 19 years, Zee will help develop locally inspired content from the continent.

Ratina Siriah, Business Head CAT2 for Zee Africa & Indian Ocean Island disclosed the plans while answering a question from Myjoyonline.com at the Zee World’s Breakfast Round Table in Mauritius.

The Round Table is part of activities for this year’s MultiChoice Africa Content Showcase Extravaganza.

The company hopes to first produce the content for viewers in Africa and subsequently put some of the productions on their international channels.

Zee Entertainment has 36 international channels and hopefully, Ratina added, “when we make something, depending on how relevant it is and how much it resonates with the audiences that it goes out to, we will be able to do that because Zee is present in 169 countries.”

Asked how local or African these productions will be, Zee Africa & Indian Ocean Island Business Head explained that, “When we do local content production, it will be African production, with African people with talent here.”

Zee Entertainment, which currently has a dedicated channel, Zee World on DStv and GOtv, will focus its productions in “three places - East, West and South Africa” and African productions will be given a dedicated channel.

She later told Myjoyonline.com in an interview that, plans are far advanced for the productions to begin and if all goes according to plan, the first major Africa inspired productions should hit the airways within two years.

Pioneers of television entertainment industry in India, ZEEL's well-known international brands include Zee TV, &TV, Zee Cinema, Zing, Zee Punjabi, Zee Khana Khazana and Zee Living amongst others.

Story by Mauritius | Myjoyonline.com | Ernest Dela Aglanu (Twitter: @delaXdela / Instagram: citizendela)