The debut episode was seen by 4.3 million viewers — the highest viewership MultiChoice has recorded for a single episode of scripted content.

The show, which tells the tale of the Zulu king, is not only a locally resonant story, but it also features a local cast and is produced by local production company Bomb Productions.

Then there is SABC's Uzalo, available on Viu. Uzalo was the most-watched show in April, racking up over five million viewers, while Skeem Saam, also available on SABC and Viu, was hot on its heels.

Set in Turfloop just outside Polokwane, the show follows the trials and tribulations of several teenagers as they journey into adulthood. Judging by the fact that the show hit 4.3 million viewers in April, South Africans are invested in this journey.

Look to linear TV. The top 10 shows currently are all local. Now look to subscription TV; again, all local. What is this telling advertisers? Local content just makes business sense.

Keletso Rakuemakoe from Urban Brew Studios says, "This trend is driven by a desire for content that reflects the diverse experiences and identities of South Africans, a growing sense of national pride and an increased investment in the local entertainment industry by broadcasters and production companies."

What is even more interesting to note is how great local content is growing South African streaming audiences. Viu, the country's largest video-on-demand (VOD) service which airs the best of SABC (along with international material and original content) recently hit 4.5 million users.

eVOD, eMedia's streaming service — which also boasts a strong local content focus — announced in June that it had reached a milestone, acquiring 800 000 registrations within two short years following its launch.

Showmax, which has a strong international content offering, has highlighted that its most-watched titles in 2022 were African productions.

South Africa has a youthful population with a median age of 27 years and younger people are generally very comfortable with streaming services and accessing content via multiple devices. This, combined with the fact that the public and private sectors are on an aggressive drive to bring low-cost Internet to more people, means rapid growth and new opportunities — even in a market with historically patchy Internet penetration.

The Africa OTT TV and Video Forecasts 2023 report says, "Africa will have 15.57-million paying subscription video on demand (SVOD) subscriptions by 2028 — up from 6.15-million at end of 2022."

PwC's industry insights report, Africa Entertainment and Media Outlook 2022-2026 has stated that VOD's revenue growth outlook is expected to outpace TV subscription revenue by 2026.

This demand for local content will only grow as heavy hitters such as Viu and Netflix — encouraged by viewership — invest more into African content production.

For advertisers, exploring local content opportunities and including streaming in your platform stack just makes good business sense.

For more information, visit www.reachafrica.com.