Stream of the Day
Showmax rolls out Kiswahili interface
The streaming platform is enhancing accessibility for Tanzanian viewers.
Showmax is expanding its reach in Africa by adding Kiswahili to its interface for Tanzanian subscribers.
UNESCO ranks Kiswahili as the most widely spoken African language in sub-Saharan Africa, with over 230-million speakers worldwide – placing it among the ten most spoken languages globally.
Adding Kiswahili supports Showmax’s strategy to improve accessibility for African audiences. The platform relaunched in February 2024 in South Africa in partnership with Comcast’s NBCUniversal and Sky, introducing an updated app powered by Peacock.
“Local content and offerings in local language continue to resonate strongly across the continent,” says Byron du Plessis, CEO of MultiChoice South Africa.
“Nine of the ten most-streamed titles on Showmax last year were local, because our audiences want to see content that relates to their local cultures. Adding Kiswahili as a navigation option makes Showmax even more accessible and personal to a large market segment in Africa.”
Africa’s largest producer of local content
MultiChoice, Showmax’s parent company, is the world’s largest producer of African content, investing in local storytelling across a wide range of languages, including Kiswahili, isiZulu, Hausa, Yoruba, and Afrikaans.
Showmax Originals featuring African languages include:
- Adulting (isiZulu)
- Soft Life (isiXhosa)
- Youngins (isiZulu, isiXhosa, Sepedi, and Sesotho)
- Koek (Afrikaans)
- Wura (Yoruba)
- Pepeta (Kiswahili)
Showmax is curating a mix of the local and international entertainment.
Upcoming content on Showmax in February includes:
- South Africa’s The Mommy Club S3 (15 February)
- The White Lotus S3 (17 February)
- Suits: LA (24 February)
- Tanzania’s Salaam Dar (14 February)
- Nairobi Bachelor (Fridays)
