Africa Magic Adds More Titles to Content Slate for 2023
Stories by Vanessa Obioha
Africa Magic is marking its 20th anniversary with more titles. The premium entertainment destination for everything Africa will be premiering new shows across its channels from April 2023. The content slate is an array of TV shows; from new scripted shows to reality TV shows, documentaries, music and sports.
Unveiling the plan for the 2023 calendar, the Executive Head of Content and West Africa Channels, MultiChoice Nigeria, Dr Busola Tejumola, disclosed that 28 series titles and 20 original Africa Magic movies will be shown on its various platforms.
She also emphasized the channel’s mission to invest more in indigenous programmes. Recently, three indigenous drama series representing the three major ethnic groups in Nigeria: Igbo, Yoruba and Hausa, premiered on the language respective channels on Africa Magic.
“This year, we intend to break more boundaries and find new frontiers in local storytelling. We look forward to ensuring Africa Magic remains at the forefront of Nigeria storytelling,” said Tejumola. “We are also investing more in our indigenous productions across our language channels: Yoruba, Hausa and Igbo,” she said.
Some of the new shows coming on the channel include the popular 90s soap opera ‘Ripples.’ “To be clear, ‘Ripples’ is a continuation of the original story with a returning cast,” said Head of Production West Africa, MultiChoice Nigeria, Victor Aghahowa. “It will also be directed by Zeb Ejiro.”
Telenovelas such as ‘Ugwu (Respect)’, ‘Dust’; the drama series ‘Girls Hostel’, and a dramatology ‘Wedding Stories’ are some of the content lined up for the 2023 content slate.
Aghahowa also noted that the channel will now premiere 130 episode series every six months as opposed to 260 episode series every year.
Africa Magic was launched in 2003 as a single channel and has metamorphosed into seven channels on the DStv and GOtv platforms. Tejumola revealed that “From April 2022 to March 2023, we had over 2,500 hours of production and licensed 10,000 hours of authentic Nigerian stories. We have stories in English, and indigenous languages Yoruba, Hausa and Igbo, broadcast to over 42 African countries.”
