African SVOD service gets in The QYou

Naspsers-owned South African subscription video-on-demand provider ShowMax has teamed up with short-form best-of-the-internet channel The QYou to curate a series of shows in East Africa.

Qyou co-founder Scott Ehrlich

ShowMax has selected The QYou to increase its reach among millennial audiences through the launch of a new series, Q Hits, that features a curation of short-form online videos.

The series will consist of 13 half-hour episodes featuring highly localized, bespoke content. The QYou has selected a range of the most popular online videos from the region to create customised shows for an East African audience. Rachel Marete, former Kenyan Miss World, has been chosen as one of the leading hosts of package.

The service will launch on March 1. ShowMax is currently available in 36 countries across Africa and recently struck a deal withy South Africa’s Vodacom to provide the low-cost version of its service – pioneered in Kenya – to Vodacom customers.

ShowMax Africa head Chris Savides said: ‘’The growth potential of the African market is huge and there’s strong demand for online video, particularly among younger generations. What sets us apart from other internet TV services is that our online content selection is tailored to the African market.

The QYou showed us they understand the needs of millennials in Africa and are able to create a bespoke set of shows that are relevant to this audience. We’re looking for these new shows to enhance our current offering and provide younger customers with the snackable, shareable content they are already engaging with online.”

Scott Ehrlich, CEO and co-founder, The QYou, said: “ShowMax is a great example of a provider that is embracing changing viewing habits and introducing new ways to engage with millennial audiences, who have grown up consuming online content on video platforms and social media. Q-Hits for Showmax willtake the best of home-grown online video culture and package it to meet thetastes of local audiences.”