Kagiso Media has secured 100% ownership of Urban Brew Studios, an independent production house.
Urban Brew Studios is one of the largest production studios in South Africa, which supplies content and channels for the broadcast and entertainment industry.
Group CEO of Kagiso Media, Mark Harris, states that this acquisition is in line with its holding company’s, Kagiso Tiso Holdings, strategies of majority ownership in strategic assets and expansion into Africa.
“Urban Brew Studios is recognised for its creative capability and talent in developing content and channels for both local and international markets by using its knowledge of local African languages and culture to develop content suitable to these markets. Opportunities exist in Africa for a multi-distribution strategy for content. In recent years, Urban Brew Studios has secured production capacity in Kenya, Zambia, Nigeria and Cameroon,” Harris added.
Urban Brew Studios CEO Trish Taylor said, “This development will see us being more closely aligned with Kagiso Media’s strategy of investing in assets that will provide future growth in line with strategic objectives. Both Kagiso Media and Urban Brew Studios will be better poised to play in the content space across all platforms; including TV, radio and digital.”
Urban Brew Studios currently runs four channels on DSTV: 1 Gospel, Dumisa, ED, and 1 KZN. The business also produces a range of successful productions for SABC viz. Friends Like These, YOTV, Live Amp, RGB, and Khumbul ‘ekhaya; for etv Gold Diggers and Mahadi – Lobola; and for Mzanzi Magic, Zabalaza.