(MEDIAWAN AFRICA) - The unmissable annual event that brings together producers, broadcasters, platforms, and telecom operators, MIP AFRICA, will take place this year from September 2 to 4, 2024, in Johannesburg. MEDIAWAN AFRICA (Côte Ouest, Keewu Production) will be present with the ambition to expand its presence and showcase the diversity of its activities and the strength of its partnerships. Côte Ouest will host its historic partner Globo at the Mediawan Africa booth this year.

For over 25 years, Côte Ouest and Globo have been forging an exclusive partnership in Africa, which has continued to strengthen over the years. To date, Côte Ouest has acquired 9,000 hours of successful premium content from the Brazilian giant. This content, carefully dubbed by Côte Ouest's in- house studio, Studio1, or by external providers, is then distributed in more than 50 countries across Africa, Europe, and North America.

Following the success of Black Santiago Club (Canal+ International), Keewu Production recently produced the Canal+ Original series Lex Africana, the first premium action series in West Africa, in co-production with Shimazu Productions. Last year, the production company also developed a partnership with the Republic of Benin and TV5Monde, the global French-speaking world channel, around the creation of the daily series The best is yet to come. Keewu is currently producing a new thriller series, Playgame, in co-production with Canal+ International. A choral series, combining suspense and romance, soon to be broadcast.

Jonathan Lett, Director of Côte Ouest: "It is always a pleasure for us to support African audiovisual by sharing our expertise, know-how, and partnerships. I'm delighted to be taking part in MIP AFRICA, as it's an opportunity for us to exchange with all our customers, and to gain a better understanding of developments in this dynamic market, in which Côte Ouest Audiovisuel continues to innovate each year."

Alexandre Rideau, Director of Keewu and Operations Director of Mediawan Africa: "Mediawan Africa's participation in this exceptional event demonstrates our commitment to the development of the African audiovisual industry. We are particularly pleased to be present in South Africa this year to expand our activities in English-speaking Africa. We are actively seeking new projects, talents, and collaborations to create a new generation of premium African fiction."

About MEDIAWAN AFRICA

Established in 2021 and presided over by François Thiellet, founder of the African content specialist Thema TV and built upon Keewu Production based in Senegal and founded by Alexandre Rideau (known for works such as C’est la Vie, Manjak, Sakho et Mangane, Orchestra Baobab, Black Santiago Club), Mediawan Africa aspires to become the leading independent audiovisual player in Francophone Africa and aims to be the preferred partner for content operators in Africa. Mediawan Africa’s strategy revolves around the production of original, high-quality fiction for African and global networks, with a focus on African talents. It involves the creation of services tailored for African markets, as well as the production and distribution of premium content to meet the growing demand and promote these productions worldwide. Notably, Mediawan Africa recently partnered with the first « Dakar Séries Festival, » where the series Black Santiago Club, produced by Keewu and co-directed by Toumani Sangaré and Tiburce Bocovo, won the Best Music Award. Black Santiago Club had its world premiere in March 2023 at Séries Mania, becoming the first series to represent Africa at the festival. In May 2023, Mediawan Africa announced its acquisition of Côte Ouest, the leading independent distributor of audiovisual content in Africa, boasting a catalog of over 20,000 program hours distributed to more than 150 clients across nearly 70 territories, primarily in Francophone and Anglophone Africa.

About Côte Ouest

Created in 1997, Côte Ouest joined Mediawan Africa in May 2023, the African flagship of the Mediawan Group, a leading independent European studio producing audiovisual content. Based in Abidjan (Ivory Coast) and Ebène (Mauritius), the company is the foremost African distributor of audiovisual content. Initially specializing in distributing Hollywood majors' content in Africa and later South American telenovelas, Côte Ouest now offers the largest African catalog with nearly 22,000 hours of content across all genres, including soap operas, series, films, documentaries, animation, and more. In addition to its distribution activities, Côte Ouest also houses Studio 1, an integrated dubbing studio that allows them to offer their programs outside their original region. Lastly, Côte Ouest is also a content broadcaster, operating Nina Novelas, the first French-language channel dedicated to telenovelas, offering 1,400 hours of programming annually through linear broadcasting, catch-up (MyNina), SVOD, and social media platforms. Additionally, Côte Ouest owns Short, a premium short-format VOD platform available on Orange and MTN.

About Keewu

Keewu is a label created in 2012 by Alexandre Rideau. Based in Senegal, Keewu's ambition is to develop its activity on the African continent. Keewu's productions tell the stories of Africa while providing the public with a useful insight into contemporary issues. Keewu produces different types of audiovisual fiction, for pan-African or local TV channels, and/or financed by NGOs and public/parapublic bodies on the themes of health and education. Keewu is also a partner of 9 film schools, placing the training of African artists and technicians at the heart of its productions. Keewu's productions include the documentaries “Orchestra Baobab” and the hit drama “C'est la vie”; “Sakho et Mangane”; “Manjak”; “Black Santiago Club” (CANAL+PREMIERE AFRIQUE); “Le Meilleur est à venir”, a daily series that led to a partnership with the Republic of Benin and TV5MONDE; and more recently, West Africa's first premium action series, “Lex Africana”, in co- production with Shimazu Productions. Keewu is currently producing a new thriller series, Play Game, in co-production with Canal+ International.