Vice, media group renowned for its eponymous magazine, just announced it has entered into a JV agreement with Econet Media, to develop Kwese Vice, a multi-platform broadcast network (accessible on smartphones and computers for example). Kwese Vice, whose offices will be in South Africa, will start operating in 2018.

Kwese Vice’s main audience will be African millennials, Africans born between 1980 and 2000, whose consumption habits are greatly influenced by internet and smartphones. For these, Vice and Econet will create original local content accessible on TV, via internet and many other channels. Kwese’s offices will also house Vice’s ad agency, Virtue Worldwide.

Vice’s partnership with Econet Media to expand in Africa is no surprising as it may be recalled that Kwese TV, owned by Econet, had in January 2017, been the first TV operator to offer Viceland, Vice Media’s TV channel in Africa.

Servan Ahougnon