Los Angeles and Johannesburg-based trade event organiser Basic Lead announced a
record-breaking attendance for the 10th anniversary edition of DISCOP Africa, which
wrapped on 4 June in Abidjan, with 618 participants from 51 countries in attendance
across the three-day market.
The numbers highlight the rapidly emerging importance of Francophone Africa in the
global and regional syndication industry as well as the successful return of DISCOP
Africa to two annual editions, in order to service the continent’s fast-growing
television content industry.
Forty-eight international distributors, 142 broadcasters and platforms and 134
independent producers held over 5,000 meetings during the event, which saw
numerous on-the-spot acquisitions and co-production deals.
Mr Daniel Kablan Duncan, prime minister of the Republic of Cote D’Ivoire, and the
government’s minister of communications, Mrs Affoussiata Bamba-Lamine,
inaugurated DISCOP Africa Abidjan, in the presence of South Africa’s ambassador in
Cote D’Ivoire, VL Sindane, as South Africa was the 10th edition’s guest country.
Partnerships between Cote D’Ivoire and South Africa were at the core of discussions
between high-level representatives of each country’s private and public sectors,
aimed at establishing a bilateral co-production agreement in the foreseeable future.
At the same time, Cote D’Ivoire’s public broadcaster, RTI, announced major co-
production and development deals signed at the market with various South African
producers who were strongly represented at the show.
Patrick Zuchowicki, Basic Lead’s CEO said, “The success of this past edition mirrors
the increasing role of Francophone Africa for pan-African content co-production and
sales business, and the fast rising importance of relationships between Anglophone
and Francophone Africa. Abidjan is shaping up to become Francophone Africa’s
production and distribution hub and has been an extremely hospitable and dynamic
location for our event. We’re looking forward to returning in 2016 for another
hugely successful market.’
The next edition of DISCOP Africa will take place in Johannesburg from 4 to 6
November, 2015 and the next Abidjan market will take place from 31 May to 2
June, 2016.
