Africa’s Entertainment and Media (E&M) sector is undergoing a rapid, digitally driven transformation, outpacing global growth averages and establishing key markets like Nigeria, Kenya, and South Africa as continental powerhouses.
A new report from PwC Africa reveals that connectivity, shifting consumer behaviour, and the rise of next-generation technologies such as Generative AI are fueling a highly resilient, future-ready industry.
The PwC Africa Entertainment and Media Outlook 2025–2029 highlights that these leading African markets are not just participating in the global digital shift; they are aggressively pioneering it, adapting swiftly to mobile-first consumption habits and aggressively unlocking new revenue streams.
The report singles out Nigeria as the continent’s undisputed growth leader.
Fuelled by a large and rapidly expanding digital base, Nigeria is projected to maintain its position as the fastest-growing E&M market in Africa, with a robust projected Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 7.2% through 2029.
In 2024 alone, the Nigerian E&M market showed remarkable momentum, growing at an estimated rate of 11.2%.
Meanwhile, South Africa, while more established and diverse, projects a moderate yet resilient 3.5% CAGR.
The report notes that these mature markets are successfully leveraging their diverse media landscapes to scale digital platforms.
Digital acceleration is perhaps most visible in the advertising space, where Kenya is taking the global lead. Kenya is home to the world’s fastest-growing internet advertising market, forecast to expand at an astonishing 16% CAGR.
This growth reflects a significant increase in digital engagement and a strategic shift by businesses to meet consumers where they are: online.
Similarly, in South Africa, retail other display (digital advertising outside of search and classifieds) is the fastest-growing internet advertising segment, expanding at a CAGR of 32%.
This indicates that brands are increasingly investing in sophisticated, visual digital ad formats to capture consumer attention. The underlying engine for this E&M growth is expanding internet connectivity, driven overwhelmingly by mobile access across the continent’s powerhouse nations.
Nigeria now boasts over 107 million internet users, representing a massive and rapidly maturing digital audience. In South Africa, data usage is dominated by visual media, with video content accounting for over 76% of all data consumption. The adoption of next-generation infrastructure is also on the horizon, with 5G subscription technology across South Africa expected to surpass 3G subscriptions by 2027. This connectivity is reshaping how Africans consume media.
The report confirms that over-the-top (OTT) streaming platforms are experiencing robust growth and are progressively gaining ground against traditional broadcast TV across the region. This trend signals a fundamental shift away from scheduled linear content toward on-demand digital delivery.
Music and gaming are leading the charge in new consumer revenue streams. Strong growth in music streaming is complementing the region’s revival of live entertainment. In South Africa, streaming consumer spend now accounts for nearly 36% of the total consumer music income.
Meanwhile, gaming and esports are set to become titans of the industry, globally on track to overtake traditional television by 2029.
