2023-06-15 22:16:08
Who has never dreamed of a 100% African Netflix? This is the bet in which two Cameroonian entrepreneurs have embarked with “CINAF”, a streaming platform exclusively dedicated to cinema and series from the continent. The project was born three years ago. For now, CINAF mainly offers Cameroonian productions. But its founders are thinking big: they hope to conquer all the productions of the continent, thanks to a fundraising of 500,000 euros that they are in the process of realizing. Clémentine Pawlotsky met them at the VivaTech show organized until Saturday June 17 in Paris.
CINAF was born from an observation: African films and series lack visibility. “There is not really a platform dedicated to African content to which fans of this content can turn when they need it”, explains Fabrice Takoumbo, one of the founders of the platform.
The CINAF adventure begins in 2020, with a mainly Cameroonian catalog. Today, there are also films and series from Senegal or Côte d’Ivoire. The long-term objective: conquer all the productions of the continent, explains Vanel Sandjong, the other founder of CINAF. “ As a start-up, we have a big challenge. We are attacking a market that is huge. We are talking about 859 million people connected in Africa so it is a market that must be attacked and that requires a lot of resources. This is the reason why we are in the process of raising funds of 500,000 euros which will allow us to finance our growth and to have content from all the countries of Africa. ».
Embrace the Nollywood market
Next step for CINAF, to embrace the Nollywood market. The two entrepreneurs are currently in discussions with Nigerian distributors. The outlook is promising, according to Vanel Sandjong. “ Nigeria alone produces nearly 35% of all cinema made in Africa. Platforms like Netflix, like Disney which are present or like Canal+, only broadcast 3 to 5% of these productions from there. And we are the solution that will try to give a little more smile to these Nigerian producers and creators ».
According to its founders, CINAF now has nearly 450,000 users. In Cameroon, a subscription to the platform costs an average of 5 euros per month, a price that varies depending on the country. Same thing for payment solutions, says Fabrice Takoumbo. “ We are also working on this technological component, which consists of integrating the means of payment specific to each country or each African locality and at prices that adapt to the cost of living of these populations. The African continent is the one that is digitizing the most in the world, so it is important that we develop or integrate real solutions that meet the expectations of African populations. ».
Behind this ambitious project, a 100% Cameroonian team, with 25 people working full time.
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