Film, TV fuel China-Africa cooperation

China-Africa cooperation in the audiovisual sector is expanding into deeper and broader areas, with technology, artificial intelligence in particular, becoming a major driver of the shift from one-way content distribution to two-way engagement, according to industry experts gathered at the 7th Forum on China-Africa Media Cooperation in Beijing on Thursday.

Cao Shumin, head of the National Radio and Television Administration, said that over the past two years, 80 Chinese films and TV dramas have been dubbed and broadcast on mainstream platforms in 53 African countries. China and African countries have also co-produced 50 films, TV series and programs.

Meanwhile, more than 80 programs from 29 African countries are currently airing on major Chinese TV channels and online platforms, introducing Chinese audiences to African cultures, customs and natural landscapes.

The growing exchanges reflect the deepening of China-Africa relations, with audiovisual cooperation increasingly moving beyond content distribution toward co-production, joint broadcasting platforms, technology sharing and talent development, helping enhance mutual understanding between the peoples of China and African countries.

At a sub-forum themed "Content Innovation Empowering People-to-People and Cultural Cooperation" held on Thursday afternoon, Gong Zhengwen, chairman and director general of Hunan Broadcasting System, said that in addition to producing TV series, his organization collaborated with African media outlets in 2025 to produce the entertainment show Sing for Africa.

The music talent show's first season attracted more than 5,000 contestants and gained popularity among young audiences across Africa. This year, the second season has already received more than 10,000 registrations.

Gong also highlighted the travel reality show Divas Hit the Road, produced by his team, which traveled to Madagascar last year and showcased the country's natural wonders and cultural heritage to young Chinese viewers.

Beyond variety shows, the collaborative development of TV channels is also emerging as a new model of cooperation. MangoTV, led by Gong, and Ghana Golden Digital TV jointly built the satellite-based Golden Mango TV Channel in Ghana. The channel covers 23 African countries and reaches 10 million households.

China's major internet video-sharing platform iQIYI has also partnered with OSN, a media and entertainment group operating across the Middle East and North Africa, to launch the channel OSNtv iQIYI, which went on air in February this year.

Wang Zhaonan, editor-in-chief of iQIYI, said good content can serve as an emotional bond that breaks language barriers, bridges cultural divides and enables people in different countries to understand one another. He noted that Chinese romance dramas on iQIYI, whether set in ancient or modern times, are popular among African audiences.

Clovis Silva, presidency of the Parliamentary Affairs of Cape Verde, said the spread of culture has never been a one-way process. He called on young people in Africa to seize opportunities presented by the digital era, strengthen cooperation with China in digital audiovisual production and enhance technology sharing and talent training, so that more African content can reach Chinese audiences in the future.

Gambian Minister of Information Ismaila Ceesay said that although his country is relatively small, as of February this year, it already had two TV stations broadcasting Chinese films and TV dramas in fixed time slots. He expressed hope that more young Africans would produce quality works for Chinese audiences in the future.

"The digital revolution and technologies such as AI bring us opportunities. Africa has many wonderful stories. I hope young people can seize this opportunity to spread African stories to China," Ceesay said.

Technology and talent development are also becoming an increasingly important part of China-Africa media cooperation. From September 2024 to August 2026, the Training Institution of the National Radio and Television Administration held 44 training programs for media professionals from Africa, training 945 participants from more than 30 African countries.

The growing number of training programs and joint productions is helping build a broader foundation for China-Africa audiovisual cooperation, enabling the two sides to share technology and expertise while creating more opportunities for audiences to experience each other's cultures.

dengzhangyu@chinadaily.com.cn