Every year, the National Film Office of Côte d'Ivoire (ONAC-CI) compiles statistics on cinema admissions in Côte d'Ivoire.
The 2024 report, which has just been published, provides valuable insights into the evolution of cinema in theaters, which was virtually non-existent less than 10 years ago.
15 theaters in operation
The number of theaters in operation has nearly doubled since the opening of the Pathé CAP SUD multiplex on April 24, 2024, creating new competition for Majestic cinemas, which until now were the first and only ones to have invested in the construction of movie theaters equipped with the technology and comfort of European theaters.
Majestic: 7 DCP screens in Abidjan and Yamoussoukro
Pathé: 6 DCP screens in Abidjan
French Institute: 1 DCP screen in Abidjan
Jacques AKA Cultural Center in Bouaké: 1 video screen
These 15 screens represent 3,712 seats for each screening.
The 199 films screened between January 5, 2024, and January 2, 2025 (compared to 152 in 2023) generated 390,000 admissions (compared to 395,000 in 2023) and grossed nearly 1.5 billion CFA francs (an increase of 50% compared to 2023).
Average ticket prices on the rise
This increase in box office revenue is therefore linked to a sharp rise in the average ticket price, which rose from 2,500 CFA francs in 2023 to around 3,900 CFA francs in 2024, probably due to the structure of the film offering and the distribution of admissions among the various theaters.
Majestic cinemas offer different prices depending on whether you are an adult (5,000 CFA francs) or a child under 18 (3,000 CFA francs), while Pathé cinemas offer an adult price of 6,000 CFA francs and a price for children under 16 of 3,500 euros.
African films are also offered at preferential rates in Majestic cinemas.
Family-friendly films and quality films
The most popular genres in 2024 are films aimed at young audiences (29%), followed by horror films (16%), action films (13%), and comedies (9%).
American films accounted for 82% of admissions, compared with only 6% for Ivorian films, despite a significant number of unreleased Ivorian films and very attractive ticket prices.
This paradox highlights the fact that it is not enough to produce local films; they must also tell an interesting story, be of sufficient quality, and benefit from effective marketing and word of mouth.
Marabout Chéri is a striking example: with 26,000 viewers in 2023, this film alone had more admissions than all 15 Ivorian films released in 2024 combined.