Culture & Entertainment / Creator Economy·8 min read
Who OwnsAfrica’s EntertainmentAudience?
Africa’s entertainment economy is expanding across digital advertising, streaming, gaming, cinema and live experiences. But as audiences move between platforms, the biggest strategic question is not simply who gets attention. It is who builds a lasting relationship with the people behind it.
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Africa’s entertainment industry is growing, but growth alone does not guarantee that African creators, publishers and entertainment businesses will capture the value they help create.
The PwC Africa Entertainment and Media Outlook 2026–2030 points to different growth paths across South Africa, Kenya and Nigeria. South Africa remains the largest and most mature of the three markets, Kenya illustrates the opportunity in a mobile-first economy, and Nigeria offers significant room for continued expansion. Across all three, connectivity remains a major part of the entertainment and media economy.
That matters because access is only the beginning. People may discover a song on social media, watch a clip on a video platform, stream a track through a music service, buy a ticket through an event platform and discuss the experience in a messaging group. Their attention moves through a network of services. The question is whether the creators and businesses that attract that attention can build a direct relationship with the audience—or whether the relationship, data and commercial upside remain with the intermediary.
For Africa’s entertainment economy, the next phase is about turning reach into relationships, and relationships into sustainable value.
PwC markets · South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria
1. Connectivity Is the Foundation—but It Is Not the Destination
Connectivity remains a central revenue category in the markets examined by PwC. The report forecasts that connectivity will account for 60% of South Africa’s total entertainment and media revenue in 2030, 75% in Kenya and 66% in Nigeria.
The implication is important: the growth of digital entertainment is closely linked to the availability, affordability and reliability of internet access. As more people come online and consume more digital content, the potential audience for music, video, games, advertising and creator-led experiences expands.
But an internet connection does not automatically create value for local entertainment businesses. Access enables participation; products, distribution, trust and monetisation determine who benefits.
The challenge for African entertainment companies is to make digital participation meaningful. A view is useful, but a returning audience member is more valuable. A follower is useful, but a person who chooses to follow an artist, save a release, join a community or attend an event creates a stronger relationship. A campaign impression is useful, but a measurable action gives a business a clearer understanding of what worked.
The opportunity is therefore not only to reach more people. It is to give them reasons to return and participate.
PwC forecast
Total entertainment and media revenue
South Africa
2025 forecast: US$16.6bn
2030 forecast: US$19.4bn
Kenya
2025 forecast: US$4.7bn
2030 forecast: US$6.0bn
Nigeria
2025 forecast: US$3.8bn
2030 forecast: US$5.3bn
| Market | 2025 forecast | 2030 forecast |
|---|---|---|
| South Africa | US$16.6bn | US$19.4bn |
| Kenya | US$4.7bn | US$6.0bn |
| Nigeria | US$3.8bn | US$5.3bn |
PwC forecast
Connectivity’s share of E&M revenue in 2030
South Africa
Connectivity share in 2030: 60%
Kenya
Connectivity share in 2030: 75%
Nigeria
Connectivity share in 2030: 66%
| Market | Connectivity share in 2030 |
|---|---|
| South Africa | 60% |
| Kenya | 75% |
| Nigeria | 66% |
Advertising and streaming
2. Streaming and Advertising: Attention Needs a Business Model
Digital advertising is an important growth area in the PwC outlook. From 2025 to 2030, internet advertising is forecast to grow:
- Kenya: US$313 million to US$603 million, a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 14.0%.
- Nigeria: US$279 million to US$439 million, a CAGR of 9.5%.
- South Africa: US$2.1 billion to US$3.1 billion, a CAGR of 7.6%.
These projections point to expanding opportunities for advertisers and the media businesses that can connect brands with relevant audiences. Yet growth in digital advertising also sharpens a familiar tension: platforms that aggregate audience attention often control the tools, targeting systems and measurement that make that attention commercially valuable.
The same question applies to streaming. In South Africa, PwC forecasts over-the-top (OTT) video revenue to grow from US$352 million in 2025 to US$508 million in 2030, while traditional television revenue is projected to decline. The report also identifies advertising-supported video-on-demand (AVOD) as a growth area.
For creators and publishers, the lesson is not that every business should build a streaming service or abandon third-party platforms. These platforms can provide discovery, distribution and scale. The strategic issue is whether an entertainment business has a plan for what happens after discovery.
A video can attract a new audience, but where does the audience go next? Can viewers find the full interview, follow the featured artist, save the release, sign up for updates or discover related work? Can a publisher measure which content brings people back? Can a creator develop more than one route to market?
A sustainable model combines distribution reach with direct audience pathways, useful data and multiple ways to earn.
PwC forecast
Internet advertising forecasts
Kenya
2025 forecast: US$313 million
2030 forecast: US$603 million
CAGR: 14.0%
Nigeria
2025 forecast: US$279 million
2030 forecast: US$439 million
CAGR: 9.5%
South Africa
2025 forecast: US$2.1 billion
2030 forecast: US$3.1 billion
CAGR: 7.6%
| Market | 2025 forecast | 2030 forecast | CAGR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya | US$313 million | US$603 million | 14.0% |
| Nigeria | US$279 million | US$439 million | 9.5% |
| South Africa | US$2.1 billion | US$3.1 billion | 7.6% |
PwC forecast · South Africa
OTT video revenue
352 to 508
PwC forecast · Nigeria
Cinema revenue
10 to 29
Cinema and intellectual property
3. Cinema and Intellectual Property: Local Stories Can Travel
Cinema offers another view of the opportunity to build value around local creativity. PwC forecasts Nigeria’s cinema revenue to increase from US$10 million in 2025 to US$29 million in 2030, representing a 22.8% CAGR. The report also notes that local films accounted for nearly 50% of Nigeria’s box office in 2025.
That performance highlights the commercial importance of stories that connect with local audiences. It also raises a longer-term question about intellectual property (IP): when a film, character, story or cultural idea finds an audience, who owns the rights, controls the distribution and benefits from the life of that work beyond its first release?
A successful release can create value across cinema, streaming, licensing, merchandise, events and international distribution. But those opportunities depend on rights, contracts, discoverability and the ability to reach audiences across multiple channels.
The same principle applies to music and other creative formats. Content is not simply something to publish and move on from. It can become an asset with a longer commercial life when its rights are understood, its audience is nurtured and its distribution is planned.
For African entertainment businesses, building around IP means thinking beyond the first spike of attention. It means creating systems that help audiences find the work again—and help the people who made it participate in the value it generates.
Participation
4. Gaming Shows the Power of Participation
Gaming is another growing part of the entertainment mix. PwC forecasts Nigeria’s gaming market to rise from US$286 million in 2025 to approximately US$431 million in 2030, an 8.5% CAGR. Kenya’s gaming market is forecast to grow from US$101 million to US$133 million, while South Africa’s is projected to increase from US$567 million to US$698 million.
In Nigeria, social and casual gaming represented 77% of the gaming segment in 2025, according to the report. This points to the importance of accessible formats and social participation in the market.
Gaming is relevant to the wider creator economy because it demonstrates that audiences do not always want to remain passive consumers. They may play, compete, collect, vote, share, create or participate in communities around a cultural property.
Entertainment businesses can learn from that behaviour. Interactive charts, fan voting, creator communities, digital collectibles, live experiences and audience challenges can give people a reason to return and contribute. The format must fit the audience and the business, but the underlying principle is broad: participation can deepen the relationship between a cultural brand and its audience.
Participation also creates responsibility. Businesses should be transparent about how they collect and use data, respect privacy, and avoid treating engagement as permission to do anything with a person’s information.
PwC forecast
Gaming market forecasts
Nigeria
2025 forecast: US$286 million
2030 forecast: approximately US$431 million
CAGR: 8.5%
Kenya
2025 forecast: US$101 million
2030 forecast: US$133 million
CAGR: Not stated
South Africa
2025 forecast: US$567 million
2030 forecast: US$698 million
CAGR: Not stated
| Market | 2025 forecast | 2030 forecast | CAGR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nigeria | US$286 million | approximately US$431 million | 8.5% |
| Kenya | US$101 million | US$133 million | Not stated |
| South Africa | US$567 million | US$698 million | Not stated |
2025 · Nigeria · not a forecast
77%
Live experiences
5. Live Experiences Turn Digital Interest into Real-World Connection
Digital platforms are powerful discovery tools, but entertainment is not only digital. Concerts, festivals, listening parties, screenings, showcases and other cultural gatherings allow audiences to experience music and culture together.
A digital campaign can introduce an artist to a listener. A live event can turn that interest into a memory, a community connection and a willingness to support the artist again. Events can also create commercial opportunities through ticketing, sponsorship, merchandise, partnerships and content captured around the experience.
The strongest model is not necessarily digital versus physical. It is a connected journey. An audience member discovers an artist online, follows the artist, receives relevant updates, attends an event, shares the experience and returns for the next release or performance.
That journey requires coordination. Event pages should make it easy to understand the experience and take action. Artist profiles should connect audiences to releases, videos and upcoming appearances. Post-event content should help preserve the moment and lead people toward the next meaningful interaction.
For entertainment businesses, a live experience can be both a product in its own right and a way to strengthen the audience relationship.
HNA reading of the outlook
The Bigger Question: Who Owns the Relationship?
Across connectivity, advertising, streaming, cinema, gaming and live experiences, one theme stands out: growth creates opportunity, but it does not determine who captures the value.
The PwC outlook’s discussion of future value creation emphasises the importance of audience understanding, trusted relationships, intellectual property and multiple routes to market. It also highlights the role technology can play in discovery, localisation, segmentation and more relevant experiences—alongside the need for responsible governance of copyright, privacy, attribution and trust.
For creators and entertainment businesses, this means treating audience relationships as a strategic asset. Social platforms and streaming services can remain important distribution partners, but a business should also create appropriate ways for audiences to connect directly: profiles, follows, saved content, newsletters, opt-in notifications, memberships, event registrations or transactions.
These relationships should be built with clear consent and genuine value for the audience. First-party data is not valuable simply because it has been collected. It becomes useful when it is accurate, permissioned, responsibly managed and used to improve relevance, service and decision-making.
The goal is not to own people. It is to earn a direct, trusted relationship with them.
For African entertainment, the opportunity is to move from fragmented attention toward connected cultural ecosystems—where creators can publish and grow, audiences can discover and participate, and businesses can understand demand and build more sustainable routes to revenue.
The next winners may not be the organisations that generate the most noise. They may be the ones that make attention count: by helping people discover something meaningful, giving them a reason to return, respecting their trust and creating more than one way for creativity to generate value.
HNA editorial framing
Discover, connect, return
This sequence is an HNA editorial framework for the argument in the piece. It is not a PwC model and it is not a statistic.
Discover
The audience meets the work for the first time.
Social video, editorial, search, charts and playlists.
HNA editorial analysis
Creator’s Playbook: Five Ways to Turn Attention into Value
- 01
Give every piece of content a destination. Link a social post to a relevant artist profile, release, full interview, event page or other useful destination—not just a generic homepage.
- 02
Offer a meaningful next action. Invite audiences to follow, save, vote, register, submit, attend or explore related work. Keep the action relevant to the content.
- 03
Build an opt-in relationship. Use accounts, email or notifications transparently, with clear consent and a real benefit for the audience.
- 04
Connect content to commercial outcomes. Track appropriate actions such as registrations, event interest, purchases, creator submissions and campaign conversions—not views alone.
- 05
Protect trust and creative rights. Verify sources, credit creators, clarify permissions, and handle audience data responsibly.
Pull Quotes
“A view is useful, but a returning audience member is more valuable.”
“The goal is not to own people. It is to earn a direct, trusted relationship with them.”
“Growth creates opportunity, but it does not determine who captures the value.”
Source Note
Primary source: PwC, Africa Entertainment and Media Outlook 2026–2030. Market figures and forecasts in this article are drawn from the report’s coverage of South Africa, Kenya and Nigeria. Forecasts are projections, not guarantees of future results.
The article’s recommendations about audience journeys and content strategy are editorial analysis informed by the report’s discussion of audience understanding, trusted relationships, IP, multiple routes to market and responsible technology use. They should not be presented as direct quotations from PwC.
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