Kenya: Naspers Showmax to Use Safaricom's M-Pesa Platform

By Kennedy Senelwa

Naspers has introduced in Kenya a two-tier service for watching television shows and movies through the Internet, utilising Safaricom's M-Pesa mobile payment platform.

The company's video-on-demand service, ShowMax, allows subscribers to choose a number of different download video quality levels and data usage is charged separately as it works with a customer's existing data bundles.

ShowMax Premium priced at Ksh880 ($8.80) a month provides a full range of international and local content while ShowMax Select at Ksh330 ($3.30) offers reduced data consumption with a specific focus on local content.

Both tiers allow subscribers to either stream content or to download up to 25 shows to watch offline. Downloaded content is valid for 30 days. This means 7.5 gigabit data bundle would be enough for over 90 episodes.

ShowMax general manager John Kotsaftis says the services allow users to pick exactly what and when they want to watch without intrusive advertising breaks as the ShowMax mobile video concept directly addresses the needs of Kenyan customers.

Naspers is a global Internet and entertainment group founded in 1915. It is one of the largest technology investors in the world that is listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange and London Stock Exchange.

ShowMax was launched in 2015 and is available in 65 countries as a single-tier service. It has put in Kenya strong emphasis on local content including having sports clips.

"Kenya has different needs and tastes to other countries and deserves something designed specifically for Kenyans," said Mr Kotsaftis.

ShowMax features local programmes like Real Househelps of Kawangware, Churchill Live, Auntie Boss and Kona. It has popular series and movies from Hollywood like Mr Robot, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Blue Bloods, and The Good Wife.

"Kenya has all the right ingredients, tech-savvy consumers, rapidly expanding Internet connectivity, and an appetite for quality TV shows and movies," said Mr Kotsaftis.

SOURCE:THE EAST AFRICAN