At the Mobile World Congress (MWC) Africa 2025 in Kigali, Louis Manu, co-founder and chief executive officer of Wi-Flix, delivered a rousing vision for the future of Africa’s creative economy—one where content is affordable, accessible, and mobile-friendly while reaching audiences across the globe.
Speaking before a captivated audience of tech leaders, investors, and creators, Manu declared that Wi-Flix is redefining Africa’s digital entertainment landscape by bridging the gap between local creators and global audiences.
“African stories deserve a global stage,” he asserted. “We started by making content affordable, accessible, and truly mobile. In Africa, the mobile phone isn’t just a device—it’s the cinema, the TV, the classroom, and our lifestyle.”
Wi-Flix, now active in Ghana, Nigeria, and Kenya, boasts over four million users and has partnered with more than 200 African content creators, offering them monthly payments — a rarity in the continent’s content ecosystem.
Manu explained that Wi-Flix is not just a streaming service but a platform for empowerment.
“We serve as a bridge between investors and content creators,” he said. “Our goal is to unlock Africa’s creative economy at scale by connecting local stories to international platforms and investors who believe in their potential.”
The company’s partnerships extend beyond the continent. In April, Wi-Flix launched a strategic collaboration with Prime Video in the UK, giving African content access to over 290 million global viewers. The company has also signed a deal with Foxhole (now Whalebox), which places African films and series on 74 million devices worldwide.
Manu argued that Africa’s content industry should no longer be viewed merely as entertainment but as a major contributor to economic growth.
“The creative economy generates over $51 billion globally, and Africa must claim its share,” he said. “We are talking about an industry that can employ five million people and contribute billions to GDP. Content is no longer just king—it’s everything.”
He, however, acknowledged the structural challenges that continue to stifle Africa’s creative sector—from weak monetisation models and limited infrastructure to inadequate intellectual property protection and distribution hurdles.
“Are we monetising enough to reward our filmmakers and producers? Do we have the pipelines to deliver content at speed and scale?” he asked. “These are challenges, but they’re also opportunities to innovate and collaborate.”
Manu laid out Wi-Flix’s three-pillar strategy for transforming the African media landscape: collaboration, innovation, and inclusivity.
- Collaboration: Bringing together creators, policymakers, platform owners, and investors to build a unified creative pipeline from scriptwriting to monetisation.
- Innovation: Leveraging technologies such as AI, blockchain, virtual reality, and augmented reality to enhance storytelling and protect intellectual property.
- Inclusivity: Making content available across platforms and devices to ensure that every African, regardless of income or geography, can access quality entertainment.
“We need to stop seeing advertising and entertainment as niche. Our stories — whether from Lagos, Kumasi, or Nairobi — are universal. They’re human,” Manu emphasised.
In a heartfelt close, Manu reflected on Africa’s deep storytelling heritage and the need to preserve and project it authentically.
“Back in the day, I used to hear ‘Lord Kumasi stories’ as a child. Where are they now?” he asked. “We don’t need Wakanda to tell African stories. We have real stories — of Lagos, Kumasi, and Nairobi — that the world deserves to hear.”
He urged the audience to see Africa’s creative movement not as a trend, but as an economic and cultural revolution that can redefine global entertainment.
“The world is watching Africa—not out of charity, but out of curiosity,” he concluded. “Our responsibility is to make sure that when people press play in New York, Nairobi, or Amsterdam, they see African stories on every screen.”
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