If you’re anything like me, you have a couple of different streaming services that you have access to. To date I have Netflix, Youtube Premium, Spotify and Amazon Prime. But the most recent addition to this list has been Showmax and I am honestly super surprised at their offering.
I am a big movie buff and so I can’t resist a good movie or series but with all of my current streaming services the offering is not as vast as one might think and I often find myself longing after both movies and series that aren’t available on my current streaming services (this is because there are so many streaming services and specific movies and shows are spread out across all of them).
However my recent Showmax subscription has opened up a whole new world of options that I wasn’t otherwise aware of. Shows like the Sopranos, True Detective, the Last of Us and Game of Thrones as well as a bunch of some Hollywood’s biggest films. I had always been aware of Showmax’s ability to stream the biggest and best local movies and shows but I am ashamed to admit that I wasn’t all that interested in these shows compared to their US based counterparts that I have listed above.
The vast array of some of the most critically acclaimed shows and movies caught me by surprise and so I did a little digging into how Showmax was able to pull this off and seriously threaten the Netflix supremacy the culture has been suffering from all these years.
Showmax’s HBO Collaboration
What makes Showmax particularly powerful is its strategic partnerships. In 2020, Showmax acquired exclusive licensing rights to stream HBO’s content in Africa, which has become one of the biggest advantages for the company. This explains why I suddenly have access to HBO’s prestigious catalog including those critically acclaimed series I mentioned earlier.
Beyond HBO, Showmax received a significant boost in March 2023 when Comcast — the parent company of Universal Pictures, NBC, Peacock, Sky, DreamWorks Animation, and Telemundo — bought a 30% stake in Showmax through NBCUniversal. This partnership gave the African company access to advanced technology, funding to survive in the competitive market, and blockbuster English-language content, including titles from the BBC, Lionsgate, ITV, Paramount, Sony, and Warner Bros.
This combination of high-quality international content alongside local productions gives Showmax a unique edge that Netflix simply can’t match in the region.
Showmax’s Push to Take Down Netflix
Showmax isn’t just competing with Netflix—it’s winning. According to recent data, Showmax has around 3.7 million subscribers across Sub-Saharan Africa, making it the second-largest streaming platform in the region after Netflix, according to a report by Digital TV Research.
The eight-year-old South African streaming company has made remarkable strides since being spun out of Africa’s largest entertainment company, MultiChoice, in 2015. MultiChoice’s vast network and experience have been crucial to Showmax’s success. With teams on the ground across Africa constantly taking the pulse of what audiences want to see, Showmax understands the local market in ways global players simply don’t.
At the beginning of this year, Showmax announced an ambitious target of 50 million subscribers and $1 billion in revenue over the next five years. To drive subscriber growth, the platform has slashed its subscription fee by nearly 50% in 2024 and launched a new app developed in collaboration with Comcast to improve user experience.
With MultiChoice investing another $89 million into Showmax and rejecting an acquisition bid from French media giant Canal+, it’s clear the company is betting big on Showmax’s potential to dominate the African streaming market.
Why Africans Prefer Showmax
Showmax’s success stems from its deep understanding of local preferences and a carefully curated mix of content suited to African interests. Unlike Netflix, which takes a more global approach, Showmax has over-indexed on local content and developed strong relationships with local creators.
“Showmax feels like watching Nigerian TV without having a TV,” says Diseye Amy Naassin, a Lagos-based human resources manager. Many users prefer the platform because of its vast mix of local and international content, including reality TV shows like The Real Housewives shows and Big Brother Naija.
The platform has also earned praise for its close involvement with African creators. When filmmaker Tobechukwu Ejiofor pitched a documentary idea to Showmax executives, they not only helped him develop it further but also introduced him to another filmmaker researching the same topic. This collaboration led to Freemen, a docuseries about how the Igbos, one of Nigeria’s largest ethnic groups, use a unique apprenticeship system to build generational wealth.
Showmax’s original series include multiple award-winning shows like Tali’s Joburg Diary and Donkerbos, further cementing its popularity among African viewers. The platform also offers streaming rights to the English Premier League with a dedicated subscription plan, catering to the continent’s massive football fan base.
While Netflix remains a strong competitor with its global reach and original content, Showmax’s understanding of the African market gives it a distinct advantage. As film industry investor Jason Nkoju puts it, “It’s a volume game, which the global streaming companies don’t fully seem to comprehend… The mass market prefers [its] own content.”
In a continent where local stories and cultural representation matter deeply, Showmax is proving that understanding your audience is the key to success in the streaming wars.
The Future of Streaming in Africa
As I reflect on my own streaming habits and newfound appreciation for Showmax, I wonder if we’re witnessing a fundamental shift in the streaming landscape. While Netflix pioneered the global streaming revolution, regional players like Showmax may represent the future – platforms that understand local contexts while delivering international quality.
The app experience on Showmax admittedly has room for improvement. Some users describe it as a “disservice,” with Lagos-based writer Toheeb Lanlehin noting that “discoverability is the problem. If you don’t know what you are looking for, you probably won’t find it.” Showmax seems aware of these challenges, with country manager Opeoluwa Filani announcing a new app that makes it “easy to find interesting movies by searching for something as small as a text in a movie.”
The streaming wars in Africa are just heating up, with Amazon Prime Video scaling back operations while Showmax expands aggressively. The question remains whether Showmax can maintain its momentum as it pursues those 50 million subscribers. Much depends on how well the MultiChoice-Comcast partnership navigates the complexities of the African market.
Industry consultant Marie Lora-Mungai cautions that “in practice, this type of global partnership can be tricky,” adding that “whether Comcast has fully grasped the complexities of doing business in Africa and the patience needed to overcome this market’s challenges remains to be seen.”
For now, though, I’m enjoying my expanded content options. Between HBO’s prestige dramas, Hollywood blockbusters, and the opportunity to discover local African content I previously overlooked, Showmax has genuinely enhanced my streaming experience. Netflix may still dominate globally, but in Africa at least, it’s no longer the only game in town.
