The reality TV wave is sweeping across the African continent.
This television genre is becoming increasingly popular with African audiences. To meet this new demand, many players in the audiovisual landscape are adapting famous Western shows for their audiences, while others are experimenting with new concepts…
Concepts for African audiences
In French-speaking Africa, Cameroon was the first country to stand out with Cameroon Top Model, the first reality TV show about fashion, entirely created, designed, and produced in Cameroon. Launched in 2017, the show was broadcast during prime time on Canal 2 International. Produced by President Tchop Tchop, mentor of the Cameroonian media, alongside Orphée Noubissi, artistic director of the program and talented photographer at Studio Dokoti, Cameroon Top Model was widely talked about.
Senegal also stood out with a different kind of reality TV concept: Ferm Factory. Produced by Ousmane Faye, this public service reality TV show was designed to immerse viewers in the daily lives of Senegalese apprentice farmers in order to modernize the image of local agriculture. Spanning two seasons, the television program was broadcast weekly on the Senegalese public channel RTS 1. According to the media outlet Jeune Afrique, the first season attracted between 300,000 and 600,000 viewers.
Adapted "flagship" programs
From Big Brother
(Loft Story
in France), which became Big Brother Africa
in 2009, to L'Afrique a un incroyable talent
(Africa's Got Talent
), the French-language version of Got Talent
launched in October in Abidjan, many players in the audiovisual landscape are adapting successful reality TV shows into French-language versions for African audiences. The Voice Afrique francophone
is a case in point. Launched by the Voxafrica channel, this famous entertainment program has been providing a platform for young talent from across the continent for three seasons now. For this third season, Côte d'Ivoire has been chosen to host the filming of the show. It is the first country in French-speaking sub-Saharan Africa to be designated as the host of the event. This proves that French-speaking African audiences are particularly fond of reality TV, especially shows they already know in their original version, broadcast on French and international channels.
Audiovisual players are supporting the momentum
These program projects confirm the appeal of reality TV to African audiences. Television channels have understood this and are keen to position themselves to meet this new demand.
Beyond its commitment to the original creation of African content, particularly series, CANAL+ is involved in the development of reality TV on the continent.
Reality TV is a natural evolution for any audiovisual landscape. This is particularly true in French-speaking Africa, where African audiences are already fond of reality TV formats that they know from their broadcast on French channels distributed by CANAL+ packages. The CANAL+ group has been a pioneer in this field with the production and broadcast on A+ of the talent show Island Africa Talent,"
says Nathalie Folloroux, director of Canal+ channels at Canal+ International.
For next October, the incumbent operator is also preparing an African version of the show 4 MARIAGES POUR UNE LUNE DE MIEL
(4 Weddings for a Honeymoon), which has been successfully broadcast on TF1 for six seasons since 2011.