Selorm Adadevoh, Group chief commercial officer at MTN Group.

As mobile operators on the continent continues to broaden their revenue streams, Africa’s largest telco, MTN Group, today announced it has joined forces with Synamedia, a video software provider, to develop a new streaming platform tailored for mobile and fixed broadband subscribers across Africa

This collaboration, according to MTN, aims to enhance digital content accessibility and provide a diverse range of viewing options to meet the evolving preferences of audiences throughout the continent.

The proposed service will leverage Synamedia's advanced, cloud-based technologies to deliver both linear television and video-on-demand content.

MTN’s announcement comes as Africa’s streaming market is on the rise, with platforms like Netflix, Prime Video, and Showmax gaining ground. However, according to an investment platform Daba, these global giants primarily target the top income earners, leaving the majority of the population without affordable access to streaming services.

It goes on to say projections indicate that video-on-demand subscribers on the continent will soar to 17 million by 2027. This represents only a small portion of a population estimated at 1.3 billion people.

This gap presents an immense opportunity for start-ups, mobile operators and investors to serve a largely untapped market by providing affordable, localised content, according to the company.

Daba is a unified investment platform helping individuals and businesses make high quality investments in Africa.

Commenting on its planned streaming service, MTN said: : “The platform will offer diverse monetisation models, including subscriptions, ad-supported content, and free streaming channels with targeted advertising. Each market will benefit from a curated content strategy, thoughtfully adapted to local cultures, languages, and viewing habits – ensuring deep relevance and strong audience resonance across the continent.”

According to the telco, Synamedia’s technology will play a key role in shaping the platform, enabling seamless content management and personalized recommendations.

Selorm Adadevoh, Group chief commercial officer at MTN Group, said: “We see a unique opportunity to transform video consumption in Africa with high-quality, accessible, and relevant content. This partnership enables us to leverage cutting-edge technology and deep customer insights to enhance entertainment experiences and drive digital inclusion.”

Paul Segre, Synamedia CEO, said: “By taking advantage of the breadth of our integrated, cloud-based portfolio to quickly deploy new services at scale, MTN will be able to create a ground-breaking set of offerings for customers and viewers that will drive new revenues.”

To conclude, the two companies said with this strategic alignment, they are taking meaningful steps toward empowering communities, driving industry progress, and shaping the future of entertainment in Africa.