Ster-Kinekor Theatres, South African cinema exhibitor, announced on 14 July 2016, a new agreement with IMAX Corporation, to build three new IMAX® theatres at sites to be confirmed. This will bring to 10 the number of IMAX theatres within the Ster-Kinekor business, following the opening of the seventh IMAX theatre at the end of April at the new Mall of Africa in Midrand.
The other six theatres are situated within the Ster-Kinekor complexes at Cradlestone Mall and Eastgate shopping centre in Johannesburg, The Grove Mall in Pretoria, Gateway in Durban, Baywest Mall in Port Elizabeth and Cape Gate in Cape Town.
“Our commitment is to offer consumers an unparalleled entertainment experience and IMAX is an essential part of this growth strategy. The performance of our existing IMAX theatres is tremendous and today’s agreement is a direct result of this success,’ said Wanda Matandela, CEO of Ster-Kinekor Theatres.
“As we continue to expand our IMAX footprint to key sites across the country and invest in the local market, we are proud to be the largest IMAX exhibitor in Africa. We look forward to bringing the world’s most immersive cinematic experience to even more of our guests in South Africa.’
The IMAX® theatre promises those who love watching a great movie on the big screen the maximum movie experience. The cinemas are fitted with floor-to-ceiling and wall-to-wall IMAX screens, and the crystal-clear images coupled with IMAX’s customised theatre geometry and powerful digital audio, create a unique environment that makes audiences feel as if they are part of the movie.
“Ster-Kinekor understands that people expect high quality entertainment experiences – and being immersed in the very heart of the action in an IMAX theatre certainly satisfies this expectation. Based on the current performance of our IMAX theatres, and the great slate of blockbuster titles lined up in the coming months, I have every confidence that the three new theatres, as and when they are built, will prove to be as successful. Going to watch a movie is as much about the cinema experience as it is about the story unfolding on the big screen: it’s about creating “great moments’ at every touch point and with every visit,’ stated Matandela.
“Ster-Kinekor entered the IMAX business back in 2013 when there were no IMAX theatres in South Africa and in less than three years, they’ve expanded their commitment to 10 theatres. This is a testament to their world-class marketing and operational efforts and the power of IMAX to thrill audiences and deliver results to our exhibition partners,’ said Andrew Cripps, President of International and EVP, IMAX Corporation.
“In Africa, our year-over-year box office is up 125% and we’ve signed theatre agreements in Nigeria, Angola and Kenya in the past 12 months alone. As we continue to work closely with exhibition leaders such as Ster-Kinekor, we will capitalise on the many growth opportunities that exist in this underpenetrated market where there is a growing appetite for The IMAX Experience®.’
For more information visit the Ster-Kinekor website.
