Could Canal+ Kids Expand Its Operations Through MultiChoice's DStv Or Showmax?

Canal+ Kids is a French based children's channel operated by the Canal Group that offers imported alongside locally produced content. It is known for shows such as Elvis Riboldi and Mush-Mush And The Mushables shows picked by Warner's kids networks.

With Canal+ looking to acquire Africa's largest pay-tv company MultiChoice with an announcement anticipated in the coming days. Several things await the possibly merged companies one of which is downsizing of staff and merger of assets.

As seen since the course of 2023, MultiChoice Studios expanded their local portfolio to the kids market with the addition of Jay Jay: The Chosen One. This serves as the first animated project with promises to expand the lineup if it proved to be favorable. 

By 2024, MultiChoice Studios has managed to launch an additional two titles Twende and Hero Space: Trust Your Inner Hero. The plan at the moment is to do more short form depending on their performance as the plan is to expand this to other countries. 

Canal+ Kids which is situated in French speaking countries had already followed on similar endeavors basically serving as a rival. With Canal+ looking to acquire MultiChoice its likely that Canal+ Kids could expand their portfolio to include other countries. 

I mean the idea wouldn't seem far fetched as Canal+ has an active presence in the kids circuit in parts of Europe. Through Poland, some content is distributed by Teletoon+ and in Africa this would be considered the equivalent of Play Room.

New Series Alert: Showmax's Twende To Make Its Linear Debut On Play Room, SABC 2's Magic Cellar Also Added To The Lineup

Play Room, a South African based children's channel operated by Ngwato Nkosi Group that offers fun and learning through live-action and animated shows dubbed in Zulu will be expanding the local lineup during the school holidays with Twende and Magic Cellar.

After launching on Showmax in 2023, Twende will be making their linear debut on Play Room. It's not shocking cause after M-Net axed K-TV this content needed a platform and despite M-Net having no management of Play Room do provide funding through MultiChoice. 

SABC's influence on the channel is expanding with the inclusion of Magic Cellar. It would join other shows to have been offered by the public broadcaster including Akili And Me, Bino And Fino and Jabu's Jungle.

Twende follows a pangolin of the same name, the slowest moving animal in the savannah. He believes life is about the journey, not the destination’ and is constantly at odds with his job as a boda boda driver in the bustling, fictional East African city of Milima.

Produced by MultiChoice Studios, Twende is voiced by Junior Nyong’o, while June Gachui plays his best friend and navigator, Nuru – a smart bird who always looks out for Twende, even if his chilled-out vibe drives her crazy sometimes. 

Magic Cellar is a long-form 3D animated series based on African culture which focuses on folktales, partially collected via interviews with elders in villages. It featured a multicultural cast of characters, with the principal character being an African girl.

Since its inception, Magic Cellar won 42 international awards, including Gold and Silver World Medals at the New York Festivals, a Platinum REMI Award and First Prize at the Chicago International Children’s Film Festival (CICFF).

Twende will air on weekdays at 17:00 replacing Total Dramarama from 25 March and Magic Cellar likely dubbed in Zulu will replace Akili And Me on weekdays at 08:15 on Play Room. 

New Series Alert: Play Room Expands The Sesame Workshop With Abby's Flying Fairy School And Amazing Adventure

Last year, eMedia Investments acquired rights to Takalani Sesame a South African adaptation of Sesame Street after SABC held rights for over a decade. Now Play Room will be adding more shows from the franchise with Abby's Flying Fairy School And Amazing Adventure.

Synopsis for Flying Fairy School

Fairy Abby Cadabby visits the flying fairy school with her friends Trautsichnicht and Blögg. Teacher Frau Funkelnase teaches her students all kinds of interesting facts. Together, students and teacher use educational rhymes and songs to solve the problems.

The nine-minute segments focus on rhyme, reasoning, problem-solving, and cooperation. It debuted in season 40 and ran through season 45, though season 43 was the last to feature any new editions.

Synopsis for Amazing Adventure:

"Together with their magical basket, they take off on amazing adventures to incredible locations, learning all about different careers. With a new job mission at each place, Abby—who’s got a brand-new, updated look—uses her confidence and humor as she and Rudy overcome obstacles and persevere until their mission is complete." 

Amazing Adventures debuted by season 49 and is the first animated series to be produced entirely by Sesame Workshop's in-house animation team.

Abby's Flying Fairy School will broadcast on weekdays at 06:15 while Abby's Amazing Adventures airs 25 minutes later at 06:40 on Play Room replacing Thomas And Friends and reducing the timeslot of Oddbods.

2024 On Regular Nick (Upcoming Kids And Family/Animated Series) | Cartoon Network | Disney Channel | Nickelodeon | More Brands Including DreamWorks, Netflix, eToonz And Play Room

Cartoon Network/Max/Cartoonito

• Ijanu: Child Of Wonder: A teenage orphan girl with no recollection of her past who suddenly discovers that she has hidden powers that rival the Divine Ones themselves. 

• Hero Inside: The adventure begins after Scott, a cartoonist and free spirit, mysteriously vanishes after drawing 100 superheroes across 100 comic books, without ever publishing. His proofread books scattered across San Francisco, triggering odd occurrences.

• Totally Spies!: The anime-inspired toon about three female teens balancing spy missions and high school drama

• Invincible Fight Girl: The series follows Andy, a young girl who dreams of becoming the greatest pro wrestler of all time.

• Tiny Toons Looniversity: Babs, Buster and friends enroll at Acme Looniversity, the premier institution of higher hijinx learning.

• Jessica's Big Little World: Jessica navigates her way through a world where everything seems much bigger than she is; inspired by the grown-ups around her, she persists in conquering monumental children's tasks.

• Barney's World: Set in a local playground, Barney is joined by dinos Billy and Baby Bop and their three kid best friends. Throughout silly and imaginative adventures together, Barney helps kids explore big preschool emotions and shows them how to love themselves and other.

• Silly Sundays: A feel-good comedy series, full of heart and deeply rooted in familial themes, everything centers around Sonia, Hugo, Mel, Mom, Dad and Granny as they create unforgettable memories together during their weekend gatherings. • Spookies: Set in Castle Ravenrock, Spookies stars three wee ghosts who discover something new behind every cobwebbed corner and dusty stairwell.

• Lana Longbeard: Lana is a super-feisty, forward thinking and passionate 11-year-old girl, who is also the heir to her father's adventuring ship, the Mighty Windbreaker.

• New Tom And Jerry Shorts: the first ever Asian produced Tom And Jerry series, featuring the famous cat and mouse duo as they take their rivalry to Singapore.

• Karters: Set in a fantastical island world, the game lets players collect and tame mystical creatures called Temtem, which can be used for battling, trading with friends and breeding to create offspring with new powers.

• Kite Man: Hell-Yeah!: Kite Man and Golden Glider take their relationship to the next level by opening a bar in the shadow of Lex Luthor’s Legion of Doom. 

Disney Channel/Disney Junior/Disney+

• Pretty Freakin Scary: After her sudden demise, Frankie Ripp, a 14-year-old girl, agrees to a deal with the Grim Reaper that she would go back home but accompanied by her underground parents.

• Ariel: It follows eight-year-old mermaid princess Ariel as she and her friends embark on fun-filled, action-packed underwater adventures throughout their Caribbean-inspired fairytale kingdom of Atlantica and beyond.

• Marvel Zombies: Re-imagines the marvel universe as a new generation of heroes battle against an ever spreading zombie scourge.

• StuGo: an original animated series about six overambitious middle schoolers who are tricked into attending a fake academic summer camp by a mad scientist. 

• Dragon Strikers: When the world’s most popular sport combines with magic, awesomeness escalates quicker than a dragon-powered strike! 

• Doomies: When best friends Bobby and Romy mistakenly open a gateway to another world, they turn their sleepy coastal town into a hotspot for terrifying creatures of doom. 

• Cars On The Road: Lightning McQueen and his best friend Mater head east from Radiator Springs on a cross-country road trip to meet up with Mater's sister.

• Princess Sam: this CG-animated show stars a girl who travels to a magical planet to learn how to control her powers and defeat evil villains.

• X-Men' 97:  It serves as a revival of X-Men: The Animated Series (1992–97), and the plot will continue where the original series left off. 

• Tiana: Tiana continues to explore New Orleans in a musical series.

• Your Friendly Neighbourhood Spider-Man: will be a unique take on one of Marvel’s most famous superheroes, with surprising connections to the MCU. 

• Princess Sam: this CG-animated show stars a girl who travels to a magical planet to learn how to control her powers and defeat evil villains.

• Moana: The Series: Moana and her friends continue to explore the South Pacific in this musical animated series.

• Playdate with Winnie the Pooh follows a young Pooh Bear as he enjoys playdates with his friends. Set in the exciting outdoors of the Hundred Acre Wood, these musical shorts emphasize collaborative play and the joy of spending time with others. 

Nickelodeon/Nick Jr/Paramount+

• Erin & Aaron: Teenage stepsiblings navigate their new lives after their parents' marriage, and find strength in their shared passion for music.

• Hamsters of Hamsterdale: This series, produced by Nelvana, follows a motley crew of hamsters, the heroic protectors of their 8-year-old owner Harry, who they mistake as their King and beloved ruler of their elaborate colorful-tubed kingdom.

• HexVet And Magic Pets: follows unlikely best friends Nan and Clarion as they navigate life's weird and wacky challenges, while apprenticing to be magical veterinarians for fantastical creatures.

• Super Duper Bunny League: centers on a diverse group of bunny friends who must battle danger as they defend their city and the world from their archnemesis. 

• Avatar: The Last Airbender: The series will be an authentic adaptation of the award-winning and beloved Nickelodeon animated series Avatar: The Last Airbender reimagined as a live-action adventure.

• Rock, Paper & Scissors: Follows 3 roommates on their hijinks, ridiculous adventures and shared love of wacky nonsense.

• Dora: The series, tentatively titled ¡Dora!, is described as a reimagining of the classic animated show which “promises to strike the perfect balance between the comfort of the familiar and the excitement of the fresh.” 

• Live-Action Dora Series: Nickelodeon's beloved Latina heroine is returning with a brand new live-action series! Not much is currently known about the show, however, it'll be aimed at kids 6-11, and will be in the vein of the 2019 live-action feature film Dora and the Lost City of Gold, which follows an older Dora!.

• Zokie of Planet Ruby: This buddy comedy, produced by Nelvana, follows quirky 10-year-old vlogger Ruby and her space alien best friend ZJ Sparkleton.

• Tales Of The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Turtles, as teenagers, deal with their new life as heroes while also dealing with the pressures of going to high school in New York City.

Other

• Lyla in the Loop (PBS Kids): is a funny and engaging new animated series for kids ages 4-8 about Lyla Loops and her fantastical blue sidekick, Stu, who use creative and strategic problem-solving and critical thinking skills to help their family, friends, and community!

• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (eToonz, Play Room): After getting exposed to a mutant substance, four turtles become giants and start speaking and walking upright. They are trained by a wise rat, Splinter, in order to defeat an evil man, Shredder.

• Power Rangers (Play Room): It revolves around a team of youths recruited and trained by a mentor to morph into the eponymous Power Rangers, able to use special powers and pilot immense assault machines, called Zords, to overcome the periodic antagonists. 

• Pokémon Horizons: The Series (Cartoon Network, eToonz): This series introduces two new protagonists, Liko and Roy, who team up with the Rising Volt Tacklers, a group of adventurers that explore the Pokémon world and visit various regions, including the Paldea region.

• Dragon Ball: Daima (Cartoon Network, SABC 2): new canonical mainline anime set around the same time as when Super takes place. Fans also get a look at the apparent upcoming antagonists for the anime, who’ve seemingly been watching the Z Fighters and all their past struggles this entire time.

• Masters of the Universe: Revolution (Netflix): Skeletor's final assault on Castle Grayskull caused his own demise, put an end to He-Man , and damaged the source of all magic in existence. After their battle fractured Eternia, Teela must solve the mystery of the missing Sword of Power to prevent the end of the Universe. 

• Carl The Collector (PBS Kids): follows the everyday adventures of Carl, a warm-hearted autistic raccoon who loves collecting things. His talents – a laser-focus pursuit of his goals, attention to detail, and a distinctive way of looking at and experiencing the world around him.

• Hazbin Hotel (Amazon Prime Video): The series follows Charlie Morningstar (Erika Henningsen), the princess of Hell, as she sets about fulfilling her seemingly impossible dream of opening a hotel called the "Happy Hotel," which aims to rehabilitate sinners.

• PeekeeBoo (Moonbug): The preschool project, featuring 2D animation with CG-animated backgrounds, will star three tiny creatures (Pea, Kee and Boo) who are enthralled by all of the sights and sounds of nature.

• Moonrise (Netflix): A young man from Earth enlists in the army to attack rebels on the Moon, only to find that his former best friend has become his enemy.

• Noah's Park (Play Room): The little animals have left Noah's Ark and find each other sharing fun and adventure, and a few life lessons in NOAH'S PARK.

• Game Shakers (eToonz): Babe and Kenzie create a popular application named Sky Whale. However, rapper Double G threatens to ruin their business because he finds out they have been using his song without permission.

• Time Patrol Bon (Netflix): The story focuses on Bon Namihira, a teenager who becomes part of a team of time-traveling agents tasked with saving people's lives during major historical events that happen across different eras and locations around the globe.

• Tomb Raider: The Legend Of Lara Croft

Asterix (Netflix): The series will be adapted from one of the classic volumes, Asterix and the Big Fight, where the Romans, after being constantly embarrassed by Asterix and his village cohorts, organize a brawl between rival Gaulish chiefs and try to fix the result by kidnapping a druid along with his much-needed magic potion. I’m not giving anything away when I tell you, it doesn’t go as planned.

• Dee & Friends In Oz: A young girl named Dee discovers a wonderful magical land of Oz, where she meets new friends and is challenged to save the day, and save Oz!.

• Hot Wheels Let's Races (Netflix): Follows the newest generation of racers as they experience mind-blowing races, extreme stunt contests, and thrill-seeking challenges.

• Megamind's Guide To Defending Your City (DreamWorks): The series will chronicle the new hero's quest to become a social media influencer and a true superhero. 

• Jurassic World: Chaos Theory (DreamWorks): Tells the story of dinosaur fanatic Darius Bowman, who visits Camp Cretaceous and, as per all prior Jurassic movies, the dinosaurs manage to get loose and cause untold chaos and destruction.

• Mighty MonsterWheelies (DreamWorks): Which reimagines classic characters as half-monster, half-truck vehicle heroes who team up to use their special powers to serve and protect the all-vehicle city of Motorvania from troublemakers like Phantom Freeze and Invisible Van.

• Exploding Kittens (Netflix): An eternal conflict reaches epic proportions when both, God and the Devil, are sent to Earth in the bodies of chunky house cats.

• Devil May Cry (Netflix): is an upcoming American adult animated dark fantasy action streaming television series based on the video game franchise of the same name by Capcom and part of Adi Shankar's Bootleg Multiverse.

• Monsters: 103 Mercies Dragon Damnation (Netflix): Monsters follows Ryuma, a samurai from Wano, a country also featured in the One Piece universe. In a world disrupted by a menacing force, Ryuma must navigate the chaos caused by a powerful dragon with the ability to bring catastrophic havoc.

Could MultiChoice Be Looking To Add Play Room On DStv And GOtv Platforms In Southern Africa And Likely The Rest Of Sub-Saharan Africa As A Replacement To Akili Kids??? Here's Why

Last month, MultiChoice and Ngwato Nkosi Group unveiled Play Room as a new kiddies channel to DStv. The channel combines fun and learning for children with a mixture of locally produced and international series with titles like Akili And Me and CoComelon dubbed in Zulu.

There are plans to include more languages of course it's not known how many languages Play Room is looking to incorporate to its line-up.

It was also confirmed by the channel themselves that Play Room will for now be available in South Africa. At the moment, it's not viewable in Nigeria, Ghana, Botswana, Namibia, Malawi and other parts of Sub-Saharan Africa.

Play Room served as a replacement to the factual based children's channel Da Vinci. In ROA, Da Vinci was substituted by Nigeria's Teen Africa TV which had since then following the closure of the factual brand expanded to 40 African countries (including MultiChoice's GOtv).

That only leaves Southern Africa without a replacement, as seen with past additions Zee Zonke and NWTV. These brands are all being filtered for Southern Africa despite incorporating local languages while Play Room is being excluded from the the rest of Africa.

MultiChoice had inserted test cards for Play Room in Southern Africa of course questions amount to why these appear in the region if the brand would be tailored only for South Africa like eToonz. If we had to guess, MultiChoice could be looking to launch a localised feed in Southern Africa.

Similar to the likes of Nickelodeon, this feed would come with a varied offering/language with some content sharing between and this includes the bulk of international shows like Paw Patrol, Barbie: Dreamhouse Adventures and Total Dramarama.

With Play Room taking centre stage on channel 300, we presume the feed in Southern Africa would take up channel 311 - just a hunch. But that can only happen if eMedia Investments' free-to-view eToonz gets booted seeing as we do use the same frequencies.

As for ROA, there appears to be some conflict pertaining to the content e.g. Akili And Me (Akili Kids, Kenya) and Henry Danger (Nickelodeon). It would make sense to remove some channels like Akili Kids if the plan would be distributing the exact content in local languages.

Akili Kids which is the East African version of Play Room serves as a multilingual children's channel with content like Akili And Me and Wild Kratts in Swahili. It also offers both fun and learning something that Play Room could look into building for these markets.

News Shorts: Telemundo Africa Enters The New Year With More Decisions, Noah's Park To Make A Landing On Play Room And Celebrate Valentine's With Mpho Popps And South Park On Comedy Central

Decisions enters the new year

During the month, Telemundo unveiled the highly anticipated series Game Of Lies after failing to launch it in 2023. As reported already, the series will replace Lord Of The Skies by January 15 although the late night series would come to a close by 31 December 2023.

With that in mind, Decisions would take up the timeslot for Lord Of The Skies and later Law Of The Heart. We assume Game Of Lies will take up one timeslot of Law Of The Heart which had been distributed as a double bill while we wait on the follow up series.

Queen Of The South was initially set to replace Lord Of The Skies and if I had to guess the series will most likely replace Prisoner Of Love once it ends in February 2024 and another series slated to end in that time is Cennet: The Power Of Destiny.

Play Room rolls out it's first new show in the year

Last month, MultiChoice added Play Room as a brand new multilingual children's channel offering fun and learning with a mixture of locally produced and international content. It serves as eMedia's eToonz first ever rival as it too is based from South Africa.

According to media outlets, Play Room will be rolling out Noah's Park this January after failing to rollout in the channel's launch line-up with Akili And Me taking up its position. The show might air in a different timeslot seeing as it's former timeslot is proven favourable by viewers.

Dreamer the rhinoceros, Honk the camel, Stretch the giraffe and five of their animal friends left Noah’s Ark and set off on a great journey to find a new home. The live-action puppet show consists of 14 episodes which have been weirdly been divided between 2 seasons.

February on Comedy Central

MOST RIDICULOUS WITH MPHO POPPS

5 FEBRUARY @ 21:00 WEEKDAYS

South African celebrities join Mpho Popps for a laugh-filled adventure as they share their reactions, stories, and banter about the funniest clips from the internet.

South Park Valentine Stunt

Wednesday 14th February @10pm

Miss Teacher Bangs a Boy

Tweek x Craig

Proper Condom Use

Bebe's Boobs Destroy Society

Raisins

Stupid Spoiled Whore Video Playset

Follow That Egg

Cartman Finds Love

Development Alert: Tish Tash Is The Latest Entry To Play Room's Line-up, Ella Bella Bingo Set To Follow In The Coming Weeks

In less than a month, Play Room has managed to add at least two series to their line-up Rastamouse and Total Dramarama. Now the channel will continue to be building up its preschool line-up with the addition of two shows, Tish Tash and Ella Bella Bingo.

Tish Tash follows the adventures of a young bear called Tish, her bear family and her larger-than-life imaginary friend Tash, as they learn about the world around them. It is currently every weekday at 6:30 in place of Cocoland.

It consists of 48-52 episodes each with a duration of 11 minutes. It was also viewed on CBeebies in the UK, ABC Kids in Australia and lastly EBS1 in Korea.

Ella Bella Bingo follows the adventures of happy-go-lucky Ella and her friends. Each 7-minute episode is about how Ella uses her boundless creativity, infectious enthusiasm, and a never-give-up attitude to solve everyday problems in innovative ways.

The Singapore based animated series will be replacing one of the few locally produced shows on the channel, Bino And Fino. It airs weekdays at 08:45 from Monday 18 December.

Development Alert: Play Room Acquired Broadcasting Rights To The Canadian Animated Series Total Dramarama, Undergoes Timeslot Changes

During the week, Play Room broadcast the first season to Total Dramarama currently viewed on Teletoon in Canada and various Cartoon Network feeds in other countries. It sets as another prequel to the Total Drama franchise and also crosses over to 6teen.

Total Dramarama re-introduces some of the original "Total Drama" characters in an alternate universe where they are aged down from teenagers to toddlers, being taken care of by Chef Hatchet. Each episode features dream sequences, visual jokes, confessionals, and flashbacks.

Produced by Corus Entertainment and Fresh TV Inc., it debuted by September 2018 and spawned over 3 seasons with a total of 152 episodes each consisting of 11 minutes. Play Room will distribute them as half hour episodes basically making it only 76 episodes.

Total Dramarama airs on weekdays at 17:00 a timeslot that was once reserved for Nickelodeon's live-action series Henry Danger moves to 16:30 while Game Shakers' will only air at 16:00 with Sanjay And Craig serving as a complimentary retaining its 17:30 timeslot.

Although, this came last minute Play Room was initially meant to distribute Game Shakers in a 30 minute timeslot and Barbie: Dreamhouse Adventures and Enchantimals was meant to compliment Sanjay And Craig but for some reason the latter was moved to weekday mornings.

Development Alert: BBC's Rastamouse Is Coming To Play Room This December, Play Room Reloaded Takes Up Weekdays On The Channel

Play Room (stylised as Playroom) is a children's channel operated by Ngwato Nkosi Group which offers fun and learning with popular animated shows dubbed in Zulu alongside live-action shows will be rolling out the first new program in less than a month, Rastamouse.

The stop-motion animated series features an all-mouse reggae band, Rastamouse and Da Easy Crew, who play music at the 'Nuff Song Studio' when they're not solving mysteries for the President of Mouseland. All the characters speak with a Jamaican accent.

Rastamouse debuted on CBeebies from 31 January 2011 to 15 June 2015 spawning 3 seasons with 104 episodes produced each with a duration of 11 minutes. The series was nominated for the British Academy Children's Award for Pre-School Animation twice, in 2011 and 2012.

It will replace CoComelon: Animal Time on weekdays at 09:00 from 5 December with repeats at 11:15 on Play Room.

Prior to that time, Play Room Live might be going on production break and if we had to guess it most likely has to do with the festive season meaning new episodes might resume by 2024 if not earlier. By 5 December, Play Room Reloaded airs on weekdays at 15:00 and repeats at 21:00.

The channel hasn't been around for less than a month so we presume either a rebroadcast to Play Room Live will return right after Play Room Reloaded or weirdly enough new episodes to Play Room Live as the first season consists of 40 episodes and only 20 had aired.

Could Da Vinci Kids Have Been Axed In Favor Of More Local Programming On DStv And GOtv?

Last month, it was reported that Da Vinci Kids would be exiting the DStv platform from 14 November and not only that but some parts of Africa lost the channel months prior. In place of these channels would be Teen Africa TV for consumers in West and Eastern parts of Africa with Play Room in Southern Africa.

Play Room is a children's channel which looks to combine fun and learning with live-action shows alongside popular animated shows in isiZulu. The channel is operated by Ngwato Nkosi Group who also manage Newzroom Afrika and Movie Room across Africa.

Teen Africa TV is Africa's first dedicated TV channel for teenagers "and their families" featuring locally produced shows and films. The channel was founded by Nigerian filmmaker Charles Novia and is also viewed on StarTimes under a separate agreement.

As outlined sometime ago, Play Room and Teen Africa TV are both looking to build the local offering for consumers in Africa. While Teen Africa TV is producing originals like Culture Connect and Listen, Play Room on the other hand is licencing animated content across Africa.

These include shows like Akili And Me and uBongo Kids which are based in Kenya with Bino And Fino residing within Nigeria.

As seen, MultiChoice doesn't outline a reason toward the cancellation of Operation Ouch and Pet Rescue from these consumers but if we had to guess it may have to do with the content. Prior to the introduction of Moonbug, Da Vinci Kids was set to be scrapped from the platform.

But due to overwhelming feedback from a majority of DStv customers about the content Da Vinci Kids remained onboard the platform for a forseeable future. After a year, history would repeat itself as MultiChoice plans to ripped away Da Vinci Kids from DStv and GOtv.

Consumers wishing to see more factual entertainment and wildlife would need to tune into National Geographic, BBC Earth and History for a similar offering.

Play Room: Magic On The Menu At Launch Event For SA's Newest 24 Hour Children's Channel + First Look At New Local Youth Show

South Africa's newest 24 hour children's channel will be firing up the fun at the Prison Break Market in Johannesburg on Saturday, when Play Room, the new home of children's education and entertainment on DStv channel 300, hosts a fantasy launch event featuring the world's youngest DJ, DJ Arch Jnr and musicians Pabi Cooper and Focalistic.

Guests including A-listers of the teen scene, kid influencers, media and TV personalities will be treated to a "fun factory" hosted by "fun scientist", entertainer, dancer and musician Robot Boii. They can look forward to an experience packed with magic, music and discovery at the event, inspired by the simple joy of child's play.

Play Room goes live at 3pm from 6 November, kicking off with the channel's flagship show, Play Room Live! - a multilingual live studio show which brings a fresh cohort of youthful talent to the screen. Presenters include Thando Madondo, Thato Benani, Paballo Koza, Shudu Mathagwa, Kgaohelo Moloi, Ipeleng Malepe and sign language interpreter Kanya Msweli making their debuts.

Play Room will combine education and entertainment in a uniquely local package carrying original South African and popular international content, including favourite animated titles dubbed into isiZulu, such as CoComelon and Akili And Me.

"Play Room will be a safe, curated space where kids will feel free to be who they are and express themselves to the fullest, giving parents and guardians the assurance that their young minds are feasting on wholesome educational and entertainment content in a variety of languages they relate to, "said Thabile Ngwato, CEO of Ngwato Nkosi Group which owns the channel.

"At MultiChoice, our unwavering commitment lies in curating diverse content that deeply contents with our audience," says Georginah Machiridza, Executive Head Of General Entertainment Channels At MultiChoice Group. "With the introduction of Play Room, we are not infusing a breath of fresh, youthful energy into our screens but also welcoming a wave of new and exciting talent. As MultiChoice, we are thrilled by the prospect of what's to come and congratulate the Play Room Team on creating an proposition that while targeted at the young ones, will connect to the broader family.

Morning programming will focus on educational material for 4- to 6-year-old children, including interactive shows that encourage physical movement, as well as values-based and creative content designed to stretch children’s imaginations.

Afternoons will feature live action and a local live show with high entertainment value for tweens.

Development Alert: Teen Africa TV Added In The West And Eastern Parts Of Africa On DStv And GOtv, Could Play Room Follow In Southern Africa?

Last month, it was reported that Da Vinci Kids would be exiting the DStv platform in November. In place of the TV channel would be a new children's channel by Ngwato Nkosi Group, Play Room.

From what we've heard, the channel would be exclusive to consumers in South Africa similar to eToonz. But unlike free-to-air children's channel operated by eMedia Investments, MultiChoice seems to have added a test card for Play Room under VUZU in Southern Africa.

It's currently unknown whether Play Room could be seen in other parts of Africa particularly Southern Africa but it wouldn't be shocking if it did launch considering that MultiChoice's last addition Zee Zonke can also be viewed by these consumers in the region.

The question would have to be whether these consumers would get it at the same time as South Africa as there's been no mention of the channel on their website as seen in South Africa.

Teen Africa TV extends its reach

As mentioned earlier, Da Vinci Kids would exiting the DStv and GOtv platforms in various African markets in November. We were told by some consumers in the region that the channel went dark by 31 August 2023 in some regions which coincides with the expansion of Teen Africa TV.

Teen Africa TV is Africa's first television channel for

teenagers, running for 24 hours daily across African countries and targeting first line audiences of pre teens, teenagers aged 13 to 19 as well as young adults and family. The channel was founded by Nigerian filmmaker Charles Novia.

It was exclusive to Nigeria on StarTimes channel 361, DStv channel 394 (before moving to 315) and GOtv channel 91. Now Teen Africa TV is broadcasting in 43 African countries excluding Southern Africa as Play Room might fill up the void in those regions.

Play Room's Locally Curated Schedule Ahead Of It's Debut On DStv Access

A whole new world of learning and fun opens up for local kids on November 6 when new children’s channel Play Room launches on DStv Channel 300.

Play Room will combine education and entertainment in a uniquely local package carrying original South African and popular international content, including favourite animated titles dubbed into isiZulu.

"We are constantly looking to give our customers the best entertainment and by increasing our content offering we’re providing more viewing options to them. From a local content perspective, we’re excited to expand on local representation in the form of content being dubbed in local languages. The launch of Play Room is an enhancement that we believe parents and children will have a strong affinity to," says Georginah Machiridza, Executive Head of General Entertainment at MultiChoice Group.

Morning programming will focus on educational material for 4-6-year-olds. Afternoons will feature live action and a local live show with high entertainment value for tweens.

The afternoon live show will combine the world of television with social media to create an interactive and entertainment for teens and tweens. 

Learning and fun with a local flavour as Play Room launches on DStv Channel 300. It will be available to DStv Premium, Compact+, Compact, Family and Access customers.

PROGRAMMING & SCHEDULE

Bold for local/African

* for preschool

# for live-action

Weekdays

00:00 Oddbods*

00:30 CoComelon (isiZulu)*

00:45 Akili And Me*

01:15 Bino And Fino*

01:30 Animal Time*

01:45 Enchantimals Tales From Everwilde

02:00 Barbie: Dreamhouse Adventures

02:30 Barbie: Magic Touch

03:00 Play Room Live#

04:00 Game Shakers#

04:30 Game Shakers#

04:55 Henry Danger#

05:25 Sanjay And Craig

06:00 Oddbods*

06:30 Cocoland*

06:40 Thomas & Friends*

06:55 Paw Patrol*

07:25 Jabu's Jungle*

08:00 CoComelon (isiZulu)*

08:15 Akili And Me*

08:45 Bino And Fino*

09:00 Animal Time*

09:15 Enchantimals Tales From Everwilde

09:30 Barbie: Dreamhouse Adventures

10:00 Barbie: Magic Touch

10:30 Oddbods*

11:00 Thomas & Friends*

11:15 Animal Time*

11:30 Jabu's Jungle*

12:00 Cocomelon (IsiZulu)*

12:15 Akili And Me*

12:45 Bino And Fino*

13:00 Game Shakers#

13:30 Game Shakers#

14:00 Henry Danger#

14:30 Sanjay And Craig

15:00 Play Room Live#

16:00 Game Shakers#

16:30 Game Shakers#

17:00 Henry Danger#

17:30 Sanjay And Craig

18:00 Oddbods*

18:30 Cocoland*

18:40 Thomas & Friends*

18:55 Paw Patrol*

19:25 Cocomelon (IsiZulu)*

19:40 Akili And Me*

20:10 Jabu's Jungle*

20:35 Bino And Fino*

20:50 Cocoland*

21:00 Play Room Live#

22:00 Game Shakers#

22:30 Game Shakers#

23:00 Henry Danger#

23:30 Sanjay And Craig

Notes

• Game Shakers is the most aired show on the channel.

• Paw Patrol is the least aired preschool show on the channel.

• 32,73% of the schedule consists of locally or African produced shows.

• 72,73% of the schedule consists of animated shows.

• 45,45% of the schedule is dedicated to older children with Oddbods it takes it to 52,73% seeing as it also caters to "families".

Saturday

00:00 Oddbods*

00:30 Jabu's Jungle*

00:45 Akili And Me*

01:15 Bino And Fino*

01:30 Animal Time*

01:45 Enchantimals Tales From Everwilde

02:00 Barbie: Dreamhouse Adventures

02:30 Barbie: Magic Touch

03:00 Play Room Live#

04:00 Game Shakers#

04:25 Game Shakers#

04:55 Henry Danger#

05:25 Sanjay And Craig

06:00 Akili And Me*

06:30 Akili And Me*

07:00 Akili And Me*

07:30 Cocomelon (IsiZulu)*

08:00 Cocoland*

08:05 Bino And Fino*

08:35 Jabu's Jungle*

09:00 Animal Time*

09:15 Thomas & Friends*

09:45 Thomas & Friends*

10:00 Enchantimals Tales From Everwilde

10:30 Enchantimals Tales From Everwilde

10:45 Oddbods*

11:15 Oddbods*

11:45 Oddbods*

12:00 Barbie: Dreamhouse Adventures

12:30 Barbie: Magic Touch

13:00 Game Shakers#

13:30 Game Shakers#

14:00 Henry Danger#

14:30 Sanjay And Craig

15:00 Play Room Live

16:00 Max Steel: The Dawn Of Morphos

17:00 Sanjay And Craig

17:30 Animal Time*

17:45 Jabu's Jungle*

18:15 Jabu's Jungle*

18:45 Cocomelon (IsiZulu)*

19:15 CoComelon (isiZulu)*

19:30 Akili And Me*

20:00 Akili And Me*

20:30 Akili And Me*

21:00 Play Room Live#

22:00 Game Shakers#

22:30 Game Shakers#

23:00 Sanjay And Craig

23:30 Sanjay And Craig

Notes

• Max Steel: The Dawn Of Morphos and Cocoland get the least amount of airtime on Saturday while Paw Patrol is not viewable on this day.

• Akili And Me gets the most amount of time overall and Game Shakers follows by in the second spot with first spot for older content.

• 62% of the schedule consists of internationally produced shows (excluding CoComelon).

• 52% of the schedule caters to older children (excluding Oddbods).

• 80% of the schedule consists of animated shows.

Sunday

00:00 Oddbods*

00:30 Cocomelon (IsiZulu)*

00:45 Akili And Me*

01:15 Bino And Fino*

01:30 Animal Time*

01:45 Enchantimals Tales From Everwilde

02:00 Barbie: Dreamhouse Adventures

02:30 Barbie: Magic Touch

03:00 Play Room Live#

04:00 Game Shakers#

04:30 Game Shakers#

05:00 Henry Danger#

05:30 Henry Danger#

06:00 Cocomelon (IsiZulu)*

06:30 Cocomelon (IsiZulu)*

06:45 Akili And Me*

07:15 Akili And Me*

07:45 Jabu's Jungle*

08:15 Cocoland*

08:35 Cocoland*

08:55 Cocoland*

09:00 Oddbods*

09:30 Oddbods*

10:00 Oddbods*

10:15 Animal Time*

10:45 Thomas & Friends*

11:15 Thomas & Friends*

11:30 Animal Time*

12:00 Barbie: Dreamhouse Adventures

12:30 Barbie: Magic Touch

13:00 Henry Danger#

13:30 Sanjay And Craig

14:00 Game Shakers#

14:30 Game Shakers#

15:00 Play Room Live#

16:00 The Lion And The Mouse*

16:30 Sanjay And Craig

17:00 Sanjay And Craig

17:30 Animal Time*

17:45 Jabu's Jungle*

18:15 Jabu's Jungle*

18:45 Thomas & Friends*

19:15 Akili And Me*

19:45 Akili And Me*

20:15 Cocomelon (IsiZulu)*

20:45 Cocomelon (IsiZulu)*

21:00 Play Room Live#

22:00 Game Shakers#

22:30 Game Shakers#

23:00 Sanjay And Craig

23:30 Sanjay And Craig

Notes

• Game Shakers is the most aired show on the channel with Sanjay And Craig being the most aired animated show for older children.

• Akili And Me and CoComelon are the most aired preschool shows on this day with Paw Patrol also not seen on this day.

• 33,33% of the schedule consists of locally produced shows.

• 74,51 of the schedule is dedicated to preschoolers (including Oddbods).

• 23,53% of the schedule consists of live-action shows.

Recap To The Year: Showmax Is Now Producing Original Animated Series (And Movies), Might Launch It Elsewhere

During the year, Showmax launched its first ever original animated series, Jay Jay The Chosen One. Inspired by the football legend Jay-Jay Okocha, it follows Austin, an 11-year-old football-loving school boy, blessed by animals with their abilities, becomes

the superhero Jay Jay, who tackles poachers and guides his school football team to victory.

At the time, it was stated that the streamer was looking to do short term series and depending on how the content performs they would look into rolling out more animation projects. So there entered the South African comedy Twende as the streamer's second attempt at animation.

The show follows a pangolin — an endangered species which is the slowest on the savannah and the most-trafficked type of animal in the world — who makes up for his natural lack of speed by driving a motorcycle taxi. A pilot was screened at Annecy back in 2021 and MultiChoice Studios handles international sales.

“Our long-term goal is to build the animation industry on our continent and to give our children characters and stories that reflect, educate and inspire them, and content they can enjoy with their parents,” says Phahle. “Ultimately we believe that if we do this well enough, the stories will also find audiences outside of Africa.”

Last month, Indigenous Film Distribution unveiled Headspace, the exciting new animation sci-fi feature from Johannesburg’s Luma Animation. The film starts with a freak accident, where Max, Sophie and Gus of the Space Protection Force, and their microscopic spaceship The SPF50, take up residence inside 14-year-old Norman’s brain. 

Play Room's Disappearance From DStv And GOtv In The Rest Of Africa Explained

During the week, it was learnt that MultiChoice would be axing Da Vinci Kids across various DStv and GOtv platforms in Africa within November. Prior to the termination, MultiChoice would be debuting Play Room as new kids channel from Ngwato Nkosi Group in South Africa.

In an enquiry, it was revealed by a rep at Play Room that the channel will "for now" debut in RSA on DStv Channel 300. Consumers outside of South Africa on DStv and GOtv will have to make use of Disney Junior, Nick Jr. and other children's channels for a "similar offering".

As MultiChoice doesn't plan to replace Da Vinci Kids with another children's channel or in this case Play Room as this termination not only affected South Africa but the whole of Africa. Although, a reason for the exclusion hadn't been provided several theories come to mind.

Following Zee Zonke, the first theory that would come to mind would be language allocation. As the channel is confirmed to have "popular animated shows in isiZulu" and this included CoComelon and Akili And Me and something like this wouldn't be familiar in some countries.

Second theory which continues with the first was language switching. For all we know the content would be in English and Zulu with sign language incorporated so maybe the channel will look into adding more languages overtime but I'm not expecting that for South Africa.

The last theory would most probably have to do with costs, MultiChoice is not able to sustain themselves in some regions so much so that you'd have brands like Zambezi Magic covering large parts of Africa as opposed to having Mzansi Magic and kykNET operating in one region.

Considering how much money is being poured onto the local aspects of Play Room, MultiChoice Africa will probably want to filter it down to their budget and another would be them probably looking to launch a separate offering which is aligned to consumers in their region.

Questions & Answers Regarding The Closure Of Da Vinci Kids And The Launch Of Play Room On DStv

Channel line-up review is done to ensure we deliver unbeatable content and that our DStv services cater for the needs and viewing requirements of our customers. As part of this ongoing process, Da Vinci Kids (DStv channel 318 & GOtv channel 66/157/359) will no longer be available on DStv & GOtv from 14 November 2023 at 23:59 CAT.

Why has MultiChoice decided to terminate this channel?

The channel termination is in line with MultiChoice’s strategy to continuously review international and local content line-ups and optimise DStv channels. As such, the business has decided to bid farewell to Da Vinci Kids (DStv channel 318 & GOtv channel 66/157/359). This is done to ensure we deliver unbeatable content to our customers and that our DStv services continue to cater to the needs and viewing requirements of our customers.

Will there be channels with similar content that will replace the terminated Da Vinci Kids in South Africa?

DStv customers can look forward to Play Room (channel 300) from 6 November, Play Room offers a whole new world of fun and learning in a uniquely local package carrying original South African and popular international content, including favourite animated titles dubbed in isiZulu.

For now the channel will only be available in South Africa.

Will there be channels with similar content that will replace the terminated Da Vinci Kids in the rest of Africa?

Consumers can find similar content on Disney Junior, Nick Jr. and other children channels - that's what we're told in an enquiry. As mentioned, Play Room will "for now" be available to DStv customers in South Africa meaning it's likely to be duplicated in other regions perhaps with an independent feed as seen with Newzroom Afrika and Movie Room (Africa).

Why is MultiChoice cancelling so many channels?

This is done to ensure we deliver unbeatable content and that our DStv/GOtv services cater to the needs and viewing requirements of our customers. MultiChoice regularly reviews its channel line-up to ensure we offer customers the best in local and international content.

Are you removing these channels because of poor ratings?

As Africa’s most-loved storyteller, MultiChoice continues to engage and work with third party channel providers to leverage its technology and provide world-class entertainment to our customers.

What content can consumers look forward to on Play Room?

The plan with Play Room is to combine education and entertainment through a mix of South African and international content like Paw Patrol and Game Shakers, together with animated titles dubbed into isiZulu.

Morning programming on Play Room will be centred around educational material for 4 to 6-year-olds, including interactive shows that encourage physical movement, as well as values-based and creative content designed to stretch children's imaginations.

Afternoons will feature live action and a local live show with high entertainment value for tweens.

#BoycottingPlayRoom: Could Play Room Fill Up The Void Left By Da Vinci Kids When It Exits Both DStv And Possible GOtv In November?

During the day, it was reported that Da Vinci Kids would be exiting both DStv and GOtv platforms in November as the channel continues to be broadcast on StarSat. Prior to the termination, MultiChoice would be adding another kids channel to their platforms, Play Room.

Play Room is basically "an eToonz for Africa" featuring animated shows like CoComelon, Paw Patrol and Jabu's Jungle alongside live-action shows like Play Room Live and Game Shakers. It is operated by Ngwato Nkosi Group who manage Newzroom Afrika and Movie Room.

Da Vinci Kids was a factual based children's channel which like carried animated shows like Wild Kratts, Mily Miss Questions and Pincode alongside live-action shows like Operation Ouch, Horrible Histories and Odd Squad. It was described as the Curiosity Channel of children's television.

The minor setback with Play Room would be the programming despite catering for the same demographic none of the content match to that of History, BBC Earth or National Geographic but to the likes of brands like Cartoon Network, Disney Junior and JimJam.

In short, if you wish to view the content from Da Vinci Kids then you need StarSat and a similar offering can be found on as mentioned National Geographic and BBC Earth. Play Room competes with brands like Nickelodeon, Disney Channel and as mentioned Cartoon Network.

Play Room: Additional Schedule, Bumper And Details Pertaining To Programming

Play Room (stylised as Playroom) is a children's channel operated by Ngwato Nkosi Group which offers fun and learning with popular animated shows dubbed in Zulu alongside live-action shows. The channel is set to go live on all packages from November 6 on channel 300.

From what we've uncovered previously, MultiChoice lent Play Room the frequencies formerly used by one of their other TV channels, VUZU. An HD/SD feed is currently being test run on their platforms with a few holding slides now reserved as Play Room and not Movie Room.

Bumpers/Idents/Promos/Banners

Similar to the ones already unveiled, Play Room doesn't mention any show within these teasers (including Play Room Live).

Schedule/Programming

Compared to previous schedules, the former Movie Room (now Play Room) holding slides had been adjusted with the remaining slide occupying only 1 timeslot within the week.

20 October

00:00 Oddbods

00:30 Jabu's Jungle

01:00 Bino And Fino

01:30 Animal Time

01:45 Enchantimals Tales From.Everwilde

02:00 Barbie: Dreamhouse Adventures

02:30 Barbie: Magic Touch

03:00 Play Room Live

04:00 Game Shakers

04:30 Game Shakers

05:00 Henry Danger

05:30 Sanjay And Craig

06:01 Oddbods

06:30 Cocoland

06:40 Thomas & Friends

07:00 Paw Patrol

07:26 Jabu's Jungle

08:00 Jabu's Jungle

08:25 Bino And Fino

08:45 Bino And Fino

09:00 Animal Time

09:15 Enchantimals Tales From Everwilde

09:30 Barbie: Dreamhouse Adventures

10:00 Barbie: Magic Touch

10:30 Oddbods

11:00 Thomas & Friends

11:15 Animal Time

11:30 Jabu's Jungle

12:00 Cocomelon (IsiZulu)

12:15 Bino And Fino

12:45 Bino And Fino

13:00 Game Shakers

13:30 Game Shakers

14:00 Henry Danger

14:30 Sanjay And Craig

15:00 Play Room Live

16:00 Game Shakers

16:30 Game Shakers

17:00 Henry Danger

17:30 Sanjay And Craig

18:00 Oddbods

18:30 Cocoland

18:40 Thomas & Friends

18:55 Paw Patrol

19:25 Jabu's Jungle

19:50 Jabu's Jungle

20:20 Bino And Fino

20:50 Cocoland

21:00 Play Room Live

22:00 Game Shakers

22:30 Game Shakers

23:00 Henry Danger

23:30 Sanjay And Craig

21 October

00:00 Oddbods

00:30 Jabu's Jungle

01:00 Bino And Fino

01:30 Animal Time

01:45 Enchantimals Tales From Everwilde

02:00 Barbie: Dreamhouse Adventures

02:30 Barbie: Magic Touch

03:00 Play Room Live

04:00 Game Shakers

04:30 Game Shakers

05:00 Henry Danger

05:30 Sanjay And Craig

06:00 Jabu's Jungle

06:30 Jabu's Jungle

07:00 Jabu's Jungle

07:30 Cocomelon (IsiZulu)

07:45 Bino And Fino

08:00 Cocoland

08:05 Bino And Fino

08:35 Jabu's Jungle

09:00 Animal Time

09:15 Thomas & Friends

09:45 Thomas & Friends

10:00 Enchantimals Tales From Everwilde

10:30 Enchantimals Tales From Everwilde

10:45 Oddbods

11:15 Oddbods

11:45 Oddbods

12:00 Barbie: Dreamhouse Adventures

12:30 Barbie: Magic Touch

13:00 Game Shakers

13:30 Game Shakers

14:00 Henry Danger

14:30 Sanjay And Craig

15:00 Play Room Live

16:00 Max Steel: The Dawn Of Morphos

17:00 Sanjay And Craig

17:30 Animal Time

17:45 Jabu's Jungle

18:15 Jabu's Jungle

18:45 Cocomelon (IsiZulu)

19:00 Bino And Fino

19:30 Jabu's Jungle

20:00 Jabu's Jungle

20:30 Jabu's Jungle

21:00 Play Room Live

22:00 Game Shakers

22:30 Game Shakers

23:00 Sanjay And Craig

23:30 Sanjay And Craig

22 October

00:00 Oddbods

00:30 Cocomelon (IsiZulu)

00:45 Bino And Fino

01:00 Jabu's Jungle

01:30 Animal Time

01:45 Enchantimals Tales From Everwilde

02:00 Barbie: Dreamhouse Adventures

02:30 Barbie: Magic Touch

03:00 Holding Slide (likely Play Room Live)

04:00 Game Shakers

04:30 Game Shakers

05:00 Henry Danger

05:30 Henry Danger

06:00 Bino And Fino

06:30 Cocomelon (IsiZulu)

06:45 Jabu's Jungle

07:15 Jabu's Jungle

07:45 Jabu's Jungle

08:15 Cocoland

08:35 Cocoland

08:55 Cocoland

09:00 Oddbods

09:30 Oddbods

10:00 Oddbods

10:15 Animal Time

10:45 Thomas & Friends

11:15 Thomas & Friends

11:30 Animal Time

12:00 Barbie: Dreamhouse Adventures

12:30 Barbie: Magic Touch

13:00 Henry Danger

13:30 Sanjay And Craig

14:00 Game Shakers

14:30 Game Shakers

15:00 Play Room Live

16:00 The Lion And The Mouse

16:30 Sanjay And Craig

17:00 Sanjay And Craig

17:30 Animal Time

17:45 Jabu's Jungle

18:15 Jabu's Jungle

18:45 Thomas & Friends

19:15 Bino And Fino

19:45 Jabu's Jungle

20:15 Cocomelon (IsiZulu)

20:30 Jabu's Jungle

21:00 Play Room Live

22:00 Game Shakers

22:30 Game Shakers

23:00 Sanjay And Craig

23:30 Sanjay And Craig

Notes

• CoComelon is the only locally dubbed show on the list as mentioned through a press release and Akili And Me another dubbed series had been removed from the lineup.

• Barbie and Enchantimals were both seen in the afternoon and nighttime slots of the channel before moving up to mornings.

• Noah's Park had also been removed from the lineup

• The Lion And The Moose and Max Steel serve as newcomers but only on the weekends. This would be the first time we've got word on their weekend offering which is tailored to only weekday repeats and Play Room Live appears to be an everyday thing similar to Zee World.

• Play Room Live's timeslot remains intact (including repeats) implying that this could be an accurate timeslot.

Play Room: MultiChoice's Attempt At An "eToonz For Africa" Is Ramping Up It's Local Offering

Play Room (stylised as Playroom) is a children's channel operated by Ngwato Nkosi Group which offers fun and learning with popular animated shows dubbed in Zulu alongside live-action shows. The channel is set to go live on all packages from November 6 on channel 300.

During the week, we were able to piece out a part of the channel's schedule as tests are still underway particularly for the schedule. So it's likely that some content already confirmed for Play Room won't form part of the initial offering.

We have shows like Game Shakers and Paw Patrol those were very much confirmed beforehand. But a majority of content such as Akili And Me, Jabu's Jungle and Bino And Fino are all based from Africa leading us to believe that Play Room may be looking to ramp its local offering.

They already offer a local tween show Play Room Live with a selection of animated shows set to be dubbed in local languages. The idea of them sourcing out as much locally produced animated series and possible live-action wouldn't seem far fetched.

During the year, Showmax rolled out its first original animated series Jay Jay The Chosen One as somewhat of an experiment. Following its success, the streamer unveiled its second program in the year Twende so we presume these shows will likely surface on Play Room.

African Animation Network To Get First Ever Competitor With A Dedicated Channel

In 2019, Nick Wilson the cofounder to African Animation Network unveiled plans to launch a 24 hour linear channel strictly for African produced animation with plans to get original content. From what is understood, some funding would be needed to get this off the ground.

Prior to its rollout, they were plans to launch a dedicated programming block on numerous local broadcasters in the African market likely even DStv as sources sited these broadcasters as "major outlets". Following that instance, there's technically been no update.

Nick Wilson and the rest of his team at African Animation Network have since then been producing Garbage Boy And Trash Can for Cartoon Network. They aren't looking to compete with their potential linear offering but as seen already strive with partnerships.

In the coming months, MultiChoice and Ngwato Nkosi Group are set to unveil a new children's channel to their platforms, Play Room. Described as a fun and educational platform featuring animated series in local languages alongside live-action shows.

From what's seen on the schedule, Play Room appears to not only be taking on the likes of eMedia's eToonz but also Nick Wilson's African Animation Network. Alongside a channel there's various local shows such as Akili And Me, Jabu's Jungle and Bino And Fino.

African Animation Network had operated a digital channel years prior for short films and series. The linear counterpart would most likely continue this format and possible feature the above-mentioned shows as they were looking to get educational and kid friendly content.