Researchers estimate that by 2015 mobile subscriptions across the African continent will have reached the one billion mark. The majority of those subscribers’ first experience of the internet will be through their mobile devices.

And so Africans will, increasingly, communicate, educate and entertain themselves all through their mobile device; it is in that entertainment space that Kenya’s Buni TV is bringing its unique brand of content.

Launched in April 2012 Buni TV is essentially a web and mobile streaming platform for African videos and is a spin-off of multimedia production company Buni Media.

Co-founded by media veteran Marie Lora-Mungai, Buni Media is perhaps most recognised for its role as the producer of popular Kenyan satire program The XYZ Show.

Since its advent in 2009 the company has grown rapidly and now has offices in both Los Angeles and Nairobi and produces a variety of content ranging from documentaries through to children’s programming.

It was working in the entertainment sphere that the Buni TV producers became aware of the obstacles that exist when it comes to distributing content across the continent.

“As far as films are concerned, there is no theatre network in Africa. Most countries don't even have one single movie theatre. Only a certain type of content gets on local television, and few people have access to cable or satellite. And on top of all this, you have piracy. The distribution problem has impeded the growth of African film industries, and frustrated viewers who have a very big, unsatisfied appetite for relevant, local content,” explains Lora-Mungai.

The media company has proved most adept at disseminating its own content, in the form of the XYZ SHOW, across Kenya and beyond through a variety of mediums including radio, television and the internet.

It was almost inevitable that Lora-Mungai would see the possibilities that existed by bringing together mobile technology and the growing masses of content.

“About a year and a half ago, it became clear to me that mobile could finally provide the solution to this distribution problem. One billion people are projected to own a mobile phone in Africa by 2015. Mobile is the first truly universal technology. Through mobile we could get content directly into the hands of those who wanted it across the continent. So I put a crack team together and we built Buni TV,” says Lora-Mungai.

Lora-Mungai’s instinct has proved correct as the Buni TV site was visited by over 200,000 unique visitors in its first six months with just over half that traffic coming from Kenyan users.

What makes this number even more telling is that it was achieved without the use of traditional marketing methods.

“This validates our bet that Kenyan and by extension African audiences are ready to start discovering content online, but it also tells us that we have a huge potential for growth,” notes Lora-Mungai.

Buni TV is currently accessible on the web at www.buni.tv and on mobile at m.buni.tv. Content includes films (long and short), documentaries, television shows, animation, web series and music videos.

While the majority of content is in English there are also options to watch material in French, Arabic, Portuguese, and various indigenous languages. There are also plans to create versions of the site in the top 4-5 languages.

It is essential to the long term viability of the project that new and relevant content constantly make its way onto the platform and so Buni TV works to ensure that the producers of the content take a forward looking approach.

“Buni TV operates on a freemium model. At the moment, access to Buni TV videos is completely free, and it will remain so for a while as we first focus on building traffic. We do have advertising both on our web and mobile sites, and we reverse 50% of advertising revenue generated around their work to filmmakers,” explains Lora-Mungai.

Lora-Mungai says that much is done to develop an understanding amongst content producers understand that a video needs to attract a lot of traffic to make real money from digital advertising.

“We are interested in building long lasting relationships with content creators so that we can grow together. In the future, we will open up a subscription system to give viewers access to premium content for a fee,” she continues.

As a start-up Buni TV has faced a variety of challenges but Lora-Mungai believes the main challenge is to execute on the vision, make things happen and build a sustainable business.

In terms of future aspirations Lora-Mungai and the team at Buni TV are focused on growing the platform to reach millions of unique visitors.

“This means sourcing and licensing more content, continuing to develop the platform technically, and promoting it effectively. We’re also currently building our Android app. All of this will bring us closer to our goal of eventually launching our premium subscription service,” says Lora-Mungai.

When it comes to Buni TV’s long term mission, Lora-Mungai explains that they want to leverage the mobile opportunity to revolutionise the way video content is distributed and consumed on the continent, and to create new revenue streams that will help support the growth of African filmmaking industries.

“Buni TV is unique for two main reasons. First, in terms of strategy and technology, we are able to build on an in-depth knowledge of the American and European video-on-demand markets, which are very sophisticated, and combine this with an intimate understanding (being content producers ourselves) of the African media space,” says Lora-Mungai.

The second aspect that sets Buni TV apart is its editorial policy that is focused on quality versus quantity. There is no compromise in terms of technical aspects but videos are also selected based on the premise that they should speak to the modern African experience.

“This flows directly from Buni TV’s philosophy, which is to put forward a new, dynamic image of Africa. Too many people believe that African content is of poor quality and that Africa in general is and always will be lagging behind in all aspects. By unearthing the best content that African creative minds are producing, Buni TV is supporting the emergence of a new African image and a new African identity,” concludes Lora-Mungai.

Through foresight and innovation Buni TV is uniquely placed to bring local and international content to a consumer base that is increasingly hungry for relevant and relatable entertainment and wants to access it through the mobile. It is a match destined for success.