PwC Entertainment and Media Outlook Shows Digital Growth Concentrating with Global Platforms
The largest share of new advertising revenue is flowing to global platforms that control audience data and measurement tools. This shift creates growing pressure on regional radio, print media and independent journalism across the continent.
PWC Entertainment & Media Outlook
Traditional Media and Independent Voices Face Pressure Across Africa
PricewaterhouseCoopers released its Africa Entertainment and Media Outlook 2026-2030 on 13 October 2026. The report tracks entertainment and media revenue globally, and of particular interest is their projection for South Africa, Kenya and Nigeria through 2030.
The report confirms that digital channels continue to expand while traditional formats lose ground in the most mature market and grow more slowly elsewhere. The largest share of new advertising revenue is flowing to global platforms that control audience data and measurement tools. This shift creates growing pressure on regional radio, print media and independent journalism across the continent.
Digital Expansion and the Scale of Global Platforms
Global entertainment and media revenue is forecast to rise from US$3.5 trillion in 2025 to US$4.2 trillion in 2030. Advertising is the main growth driver and is projected to reach US$1.4 trillion by 2030 after already exceeding US$1 trillion in 2025. In Africa the same pattern appears at different speeds. South Africa’s entertainment and media market is expected to grow from US$16.6 billion (approximately R302 billion) in 2025 to US$19.4 billion (approximately R352 billion) in 2030 at a 3.2 percent compound annual growth rate. Kenya is forecast to expand from US$4.7 billion to US$6.0 billion at 5.0 percent. Nigeria is the fastest of the three, moving from US$3.8 billion to US$5.3 billion at 6.9 percent.
Internet advertising grows in all three markets. South Africa’s internet advertising revenue is projected to increase from R38.7 billion to R55.7 billion at 7.6 percent. Kenya records the fastest growth rate in the outlook at 14 percent. Nigeria expands at 9.5 percent. Over-the-top video, which includes streaming services, grows even faster in Kenya and Nigeria. Connectivity services still account for the largest share of total entertainment and media revenue in all three countries, reaching roughly 60 percent in South Africa, 75 percent in Kenya and 66 percent in Nigeria by 2030. Video already accounts for 79.4 percent of data consumption in South Africa.
Human Touch Still Relevant in a Digital World
Charles Stuart, PwC’s Africa Entertainment and Media Leader, said: “Across these different growth stories, one thing is becoming clear: technology is creating more ways for audiences to connect, but lasting value will come from understanding the people behind those connections. Compelling content, creativity, culture and shared experiences remain at the heart of our industry. As AI and other technologies transform how entertainment and media are created, distributed and monetised, the opportunity for all of us is to embrace that innovation while keeping people and meaningful connection at the centre.”
Amazon’s advertising revenue reached US$68.6 billion in 2025 and continues to grow at roughly 22 percent. Meta’s advertising revenue was approximately US$196 billion in 2025. Google’s advertising revenue was approximately US$295 billion in the same year. Together these three platforms dominate global digital advertising. Their combined advertising revenue exceeds the entire entertainment and media market of South Africa by a wide margin. Advertisers move budgets toward platforms that can target specific audiences, measure results in real time and operate at continental or global scale. Local publishers and broadcasters receive a smaller share of the growing digital advertising pool.
Pressure on Traditional Television, Radio and Print
Traditional television faces the clearest decline in South Africa. Revenue is forecast to fall from R34.7 billion in 2025 to R28.8 billion in 2030, a 3.7 percent annual contraction. In Kenya and Nigeria traditional television continues to grow, but at rates well below digital video. Print media, which includes newspapers, consumer magazines and books, declines at 1.0 percent in South Africa and grows only modestly in Kenya and Nigeria.
Radio remains part of the landscape but grows slowly. In South Africa the combined music, radio and podcasts category expands at 5.7 percent, yet the radio component itself is expected to grow at roughly 1.5 percent. Streaming music and podcasts account for most of the growth. Local artists already make up 70 percent of the ten most-streamed artists in South Africa. Regional radio stations that rely on local advertising face tighter budgets as national and international advertisers shift spending to digital platforms that offer better measurement and lower cost per result. In Nigeria the Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria reported in October 2026 that many radio and television stations have shut down or reduced transmission because of high diesel costs, unreliable power and rising operating expenses.
Print media faces similar pressure. Circulation revenue and print advertising have not been fully replaced by digital equivalents for most titles. Consumer magazine digital advertising is expected to overtake print advertising in South Africa around 2028, but the overall category continues to shrink. Smaller regional newspapers and independent titles, which depend heavily on local retail and classified advertising, have limited ability to compete with global search and social platforms for the same budgets.
Impact on Independent Media and Journalism
Independent media across Africa face a structural funding problem. Advertising has long paid for newsrooms, investigative reporting and local coverage. When advertising dollars move to platforms that own the audience relationship and the data, local and independent publishers lose revenue even when overall digital advertising grows. Newsrooms respond with staff cuts, reduced coverage of local government and courts, and greater reliance on events, sponsored content or paywalls. Some titles close. The result is fewer independent sources of information in markets where public institutions already face accountability challenges.
Recent examples illustrate the pressure. In South Africa, Media24 stopped printing Beeld, Rapport, Daily Sun and City Press at the end of 2024 and closed the remaining City Press newsroom in 2026. The digital-only Vrye Weekblad closed in 2025 after it could not establish a sustainable model. In July 2026 Sekunjalo withdrew further funding from Independent Media after investing more than R5.2 billion, casting uncertainty over the future of the Cape Times, The Star and The Mercury. In Kenya, several Coast-region radio stations including Lulu FM and Praise Radio have closed or scaled back, Nation Media Group shut its Mombasa bureau, and Mediamax has carried out large-scale layoffs at K24. In October 2026 Kenya’s Communications Authority issued notices to revoke licences for more than 20 television and radio stations. These closures and reductions shrink the number of independent voices reporting on local issues.
Entertainment shows a more mixed picture. Nigerian cinema is growing strongly, with local films taking nearly half of box-office revenue in 2025. South African music continues to dominate streaming charts. Live music and cinema still expand because audiences value shared experiences that digital channels can amplify but not fully replace. Creators and independent producers gain new distribution tools, including mobile platforms and AI-assisted localisation. However, the platforms that distribute the content also capture most of the advertising and subscription value. Independent producers and smaller labels often receive lower revenue shares and have less control over discovery.
Connectivity growth and rising data usage continue to expand the potential audience for both global platforms and local services. Telcos in Kenya and Nigeria already partner with streaming services to make access more affordable. The question is whether local media companies, independent producers and journalists can build their own audience relationships and first-party data assets at a scale that allows them to retain a meaningful share of advertising and subscription revenue.
What Companies and Advertisers can do
Companies that advertise across Africa face a practical choice. Digital platforms deliver efficient reach and measurable results. At the same time, a vibrant local entertainment and media sector supports jobs in journalism, production, radio, print and live events. It also supplies the independent reporting that allows citizens to understand public institutions, markets and policy. When advertising budgets concentrate almost entirely with a handful of global platforms, the funding base for that local sector narrows.
Advertisers and agencies can support a more balanced outcome by allocating a deliberate share of media spend to local publishers, radio stations, independent digital titles and African production companies that meet basic standards of measurement and brand safety. Media owners can improve their position by developing direct audience relationships, first-party data capabilities and multiple revenue streams beyond pure advertising. Policymakers and industry bodies can examine whether current measurement frameworks and platform practices leave sufficient room for local competition.
The PwC outlook shows that digital growth will continue and that global platforms will capture a large share of the new advertising value. Traditional radio, print and independent journalism will not disappear, but their commercial position will remain under pressure unless revenue models diversify and advertisers recognise the wider role these organisations play. A functioning entertainment and media industry creates employment and supplies the independent information that societies need for accountability. Companies that advertise in African markets have a direct influence on whether that industry remains broad enough to perform both roles.
