Exclusive: Netflix’s African Conflix team made a ministerial amendment with the former executive director of Amazon, Kai Ann Williams, to supervise TV and films with Tindika Matato.
Williams takes on the role of a newly created text content and will focus on local production, and supervises a team that develops and creates the original African films and series. She joined after a short period as head of the content in Traitors South Africa Primedia Studios is a former president of series and films written at Prime Video/Amazon Studios, where she focused on South Africa.
Williams will start its work next month, and will follow it against Ben Amadhason, Vice President of Netflix for the content of the Middle East and Africa.
Williams will join shortly after Matato, who has been director of local language films in Africa over the past three years. There is no information about the next step for Matto, but we were told that he is seeking to get other opportunities. His credits included The heart of the hunter and Candasamis: The child.
Amadacon was credited with Williams in helping creative talents “in creating some of the most ambitious projects on African TV.”
He added: “I am pleased to welcome Bakai Ann on the team while we strengthen our long -term commitment to telling African stories.” “I look forward to working with her to continue building on the great work that the team has done so far to present convincing stories from Africa and enhance our many local creative partnerships.”
Amazon reduced funding in Africa and lay off workers last year, and sources from the local sector recently asked whether Netflix was moving in the same direction, with rumors withdrawing from offers.
But Netflix rejected this, noting that it “enhances its investment in the novel of African stories” and pointed to the excellent qualifications of Williams.
Since the start of the local African operation in 2020 Queen Sono, Netflix cited important deals concluded with proverbs Silfonon siege Mandla Dobobi and Jian Modley, creator of the Kandasami film series.
At MIP Africa, which was recently held in Cape Town, Amadasun has unveiled three new films in addition to a movie Blood heritage A series of Blood and water Gambit Films and reality shows Love never lies: South Africa.
This news comes after a strong week for Netflix. The direct broadcasting company broke estimates by adding approximately 19 million subscribers in the fourth quarter – the last quarter in which these numbers will be announced.