ZIMBABWE – American over-the-top content platform and production company Netflix, has appointed Zimbabwean billionaire Strive Masiyiwa to its board, adding its first African director as it looks to new markets for future growth.
Masiyiwa is the founder and executive chairman of Econet Global, a telecommunications company that operates across Africa, Asia, Europe, and Latin America which offers phone, broadband, and satellite service, and is also a major provider of mobile payments.
Masiyiwa brings a fresh set of connections and experience as the first African — and the third international media executive — to join Netflix’s board in recent years.
Read also: Tony Elumelu Foundation, EU To invest €20 Million Into Women-Owned Startups Across Africa
The streaming giant already has two directors from Europe, which has been its fastest-growing region in recent years.
Netflix now has more than 190 million subscribers and is looking to regions beyond the US and Europe for its next batch of customers.
“We are delighted to welcome Strive to the Netflix board. His entrepreneurship and vision in building businesses across Africa and beyond will bring valuable insights and experience to our board as we work to improve and serve more members all around the world”Reed Hastings – Chairman & Co-CEO, Netflix
Click here to find out more!
Asia region accounted for the newest subscribers last quarter while Africa is a small market for paid streaming video.
In a continent of more than a billion people, Netflix has just a couple million customers, according to Digital TV Research but the company has long argued that it would play the long game adding customers in Asia and Africa, home to the majority of the world’s people.
Toward that end, Netflix has started offering cheaper, mobile-only plans and has commissioned a slate of original series and movies.
Masiyiwa is one of Africa’s richest businessmen, earlier this year, he paid US$10 million in cash and other assistance to more than 1,700 health-care workers, which helped land him on Bloomberg’s list of the 50 most important people in business during 2020.
“We are delighted to welcome Strive to the Netflix board,” Chairman and co-chief executive officer Reed Hastings said in a statement.
“His entrepreneurship and vision in building businesses across Africa and beyond will bring valuable insights and experience to our board as we work to improve and serve more members all around the world,” he added.
Masiyiwa ensures Netflix will still have at least one Black director.
Susan Rice, who became Netflix’s first Black board member in 2018, is leaving to join the presidential administration of Joe Biden.
Read full article here
GetFundedAfrica’s mission is to uplift people and economies in Africa through entrepreneurship; helping companies find funding, grow, create jobs and solve society’s greatest challenges
GFA Attract, GFA Mentorship Program & Application Portal For Funding
Would you like to be an impact mentor?
The African continent is going through a revolution driven by its startups. Your experience could help develop the next Facebook, Google or Netflix. You can be part of this story by volunteering your time to mentor an African startup. Apply Here
GFA Attract Interview With Mostafa Khaled Abdel Akher (Entrepreneur Edition)
In this episode of GFA Attract (Entrepreneur edition) we interviewed, Mr. Mostafa who graduated from the German University in Cairo in 2013, where he received a B.A degree in Management Technology with double core majors in Economics and Innovation. Mostafa now works with Makwa. An Egyptian startup focused on innovation, Makwa aims to offer convenience in the dry clean & laundry sector, through the application of digital technology. Watch Here
Apply For Funding
GetFundedAfrica provides equity capital from $1,000 to $50,000.
For larger amounts (Above $50,000)
we organize syndicated funding rounds of up to $500,000.
Apply Here
Follow Us
“Business is always a struggle. There are always obstacles and competitors. There is never an open road, except the wide road that leads to failure. Every great success has always been achieved by fight, every winner has scars. The men who succeed are the efficient few –they are the few who have the ambition and will-power to develop themselves. So choose to be among the few today.”
– Chris Kirubi, Centum Investment, Kenya
