There are currently more than 600 million people on the continent who own a mobile phone. That’s double the total population of the US. Out of these 600 million mobile phones, about 18 percent are smart phones, which is quite a small share. But with the arrival of affordable devices like Huawei’s Ideos, this is rapidly changing. That is a massive opportunity, and Buni TV is in an ideal position to take advantage of it in going digital. Researchers estimate that by 2015 mobile subscriptions across the African continent will have reached the one billion mark. The majority of those subscribers’ first experience of the internet will be
with just over half that traffic coming from Kenyan users. “This validates our bet that Kenyan and by extension African audiences are ready to start discovering content online, but it also tells us that we have a huge potential for growth,” she adds In terms of future aspirations Lora-Mungai and the team at Buni TV are focused on growing the platform to reach millions of unique visitors. “This means sourcing and licensing more content, continuing to develop the platform technically, and promoting it effectively. They’re also currently building our Android app. All of this will bring them closer to their goal of eventually launching a premium subscription service. She also explains that when it comes to Buni TV’s long term mission, they want to leverage the mobile opportunity to
through their mobile devices. And so Africans will, increasingly, communicate, educate and entertain themselves all through their mobile devices; it is in that entertainment space that Kenya’s Buni TV is bringing its unique brand of content.It was almost inevitable that Lora-Mungai would see the possibilities that existed by bringing together mobile technology and the growing masses of content. “About a year and a half ago, it became clear to me that mobile could finally provide the solution to this distribution problem. One billion people are projected to own a mobile phone in Africa by 2015. Mobile is the first truly universal technology. Through mobile we could get content directly into the hands of those who wanted it across the continent. So I put a crack team together and we built Buni TV,” she says. Lora instinct has proved correct as the Buni TV site was visited by over 200,000 unique visitors in its first six months
revolutionise the way video content is distributed and consumed on the continent, and to create new revenue streams that will help support the growth of African filmmaking industries. “Buni TV is unique for two main reasons. First, in terms of strategy and technology, we are able to build on an indepth knowledge of the American and European video-ondemand markets, which are very sophisticated and combine this with an intimate understanding (being content producers ourselves) of the African media space,” she adds. The second aspect that sets Buni TV apart from other is its editorial policy that is focused on quality versus quantity. There is no compromise in terms of technical aspects but videos are also selected based on the premise that they should speak to the modern African experience. If the current trend continues, we have no doubt that the blazing torch lit by Buni TV will launch the digital space for other African, nay, Kenyan players to go digital and reap the long awaited benefits. Now to watch that Sunday sermon via my mobile phone… bliss.
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Chronicle | July 2013