Vice Media To Launch Sub-Saharan African Operation In 2018

Vice Media has paired up with Econet, an African telecom and investment company, to launch Kwesé Vice, a joint venture that will bring a new Vice production headquarters to Johannesburg.

Kwesé Vice will officially launch in 2018, when it will offer original content—both editorial and video—produced in Sub-Saharan Africa covering news and events of the region. Content will appear across Kwesé Vice’s channels and some third party hosts.

This joint venture comes after Econet’s Kwesé TV announced it would gain exclusive distribution rights to Viceland in Sub-Saharan Africa back in January 2017. The move brought Viceland content to Kwesé’s mobile app as well as pay TV and Sky TV’s Catch Up. In addition to its Johannesburg headquarters, Kwesé Vice will have offices in Nairobi and Lagos. The plan is to hire journalists, video professionals, and other creatives from Sub-Saharan Africa so they can make relatable content for millennial viewers in the region.

“Pairing Econet’s extensive local knowledge and innovative distribution with Vice’s creative powerhouse and storytelling expertise, we’re committed to delivering a fresh new voice for Africa’s diverse youth audiences,” said Matt Elek, CEO of Vice Media, EMEA in a statement.

Meanwhile, president and group CEO of Econet Media, Joseph Hundah, called Vice an “important strategic partner for us in building an innovative, future-focused media business for Africa.” Econet is already well on its way in this endeavor. In September, Kwesé partnered with Netflix to help distribute the streaming service’s offerings across Sub-Saharan Africa. The partnership kicked off with Netflix appearing on the Kwesé Play streaming box.

Vice Media has launched partnerships with telecom companies across the globe, including the Times of India, SBS in Australia, Group V Media in Canada, Moby in the Middle East, and Globosat in Brazil. The multimedia company that targets millennials has launched in over 50 countries.