Examining the “Opportunities”: M-Net's Zambezi Magic Channel and the Emerging Zambian Film Industry
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Published:April 2025
Elastus Mambwe, 2025. "Examining the “Opportunities”: M-Net's Zambezi Magic Channel and the Emerging Zambian Film Industry", Contemporary African Screen Worlds, Lindiwe Dovey, Añulika Agina, Michael W. Thomas
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A recent development in the screen industry in Zambia has sparked optimism. The African entertainment giant M-Net’s launch of the regional television channel Zambezi Magic on the pay-television platform DStv since 2015 has especially been hailed as an opportunity for the nascent filmmaking country. This chapter examines the identified opportunities that Zambezi Magic presents for the film industry in Zambia, taking into account that the channel is an expansion strategy for parent company, MultiChoice, into the southern African regional screen production market. Utilizing qualitative in-depth interviews and document analysis, the chapter recognizes the contributions of Zambezi Magic, arguing that while the channel is an example of a counterflow of global media and culture, it is also representative of the expansionist actions of media firms from the Global South that may also have a threatening impact on local industry players.