BFMA Conference attracts venture capitalists

This comes at a time when Kenya is speed tracking the migration from analogue to digital broadcasting. The event will be addressed by several international film and broadcast experts, scholars and researchers in media.

Filmmakers, music production houses, TV and radio initiatives, animators, advertising agencies, broadcasters and pollsters will be allowed to pitch their business ideas to leading venture capitalists and attract funding. The investment platform - African Electronic Media Business Exchange - has already attracted venture capital institutions from Netherlands and the US looking to invest in film, broadcasting and creative content development.

The US based Acumen Fund, Netherlands based Africa Media Ventures Fund, Kenyan based Investeq Capital Limited, 88mph, Speed Capital and InReturn Capital are venture capitalists who have already confirmed participation.

The conference will be a platform to discusses contemporary and future broadcasting models for pay and Free to Air(FTA) TV, Radio, trends in creative content, digital content development, dynamics in Africa Film among other issues like music distribution and policy and management matters that impact on their growth. The conference also expects to host an exciting session on film content and cinema, with leading executives from Nigeria and Ghana film industry expected to share their experiences at the event.

Chinese interest

Chinese digital broadcasting technology firms with interest in Africa's rapidly growing broadcasting and electronic media content distribution sectors will also be presented at the conference.

Six firms from China with global reach and product manufacturing lines including digital TV head-ends, cable TV equipment, set-top boxes, digital TVs and radio and telecommunication equipment have booked exhibition stands to showcase their products at the event. Jason Xia of the ABE International Group, who will lead the delegation from China says Chinese firms' interest in Africa's film and broadcasting space has been growing.

"Some of the key factors include the migration from analogue to a digital broadcasting regime by media across the continent. This is a good opportunity for media investors to know what China has to offer in making this possible," he said.

The Chinese firms include digital broadcasting equipment maker GlobalSat International Tech, TV head-end experts Dexin Digital Tech and Guangdong last-mile connectivity equipment and systems expert Hansen Tech. One of China's largest broadcast equipment manufacturers, the Beijing BBEF Science & Technology Company, is also among the firms that will showcase in Nairobi at the conference.

For more, go to Aitec Africa.