Streaming infrastructure outpaces TV in SA's R50.6bn growth

South Africa’s entertainment and media market is set to grow by R50.6 billion over the next five years, but the expansion will not be spread evenly across the platforms that deliver content to audiences. PwC’s Africa Entertainment and Media Outlook for 2026 to 2030 projects the market expanding from R301.8 billion in 2025 to R352.4 billion by 2030, with the revenue mix shifting decisively toward digital and connectivity-driven segments.

That shift has direct consequences for the delivery channels that have long carried the industry. Traditional TV, along with newspapers and magazines, is losing ground as audiences move their attention to newer platforms. Charles Stuart, Africa Entertainment and Media Leader at PwC, notes that the losses in these legacy segments are more than offset by the digital growth now being recorded across the market.

The mechanics behind that growth, Stuart says, come down to how content actually reaches people. Connectivity is expanding digital audiences. Advertising is becoming more sophisticated, and consumers are engaging with content across an increasingly diverse mix of platforms, formats and experiences. “From mobile-first audiences and growing streaming adoption to AI-driven personalisation and rising demand for live experiences, the next phase of growth is already taking shape,” the outlook states.

For the operators and platforms competing for that attention, the operational picture is one of multiple screens and multiple devices claiming the same audience. Yet Stuart argues that the enduring importance of human connection should not be lost in the delivery race. Great content, and increasingly local content, underpins everything, he says, because it creates the connection that people like to feel. He points to the interactive nature of The Money Show, and radio shows in general, as an example of formats that still manage to build that engagement.

“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,” Stuart says.

Meanwhile, the wider African context frames the South African figures. The continent’s entertainment and media industry as a whole is entering a new phase of development amid rapid evolution, according to the same PwC outlook, which covers the period from 2026 to 2030. The report positions the industry at a point where the infrastructure of delivery, from mobile networks to streaming platforms, is reshaping which segments capture revenue.

What the numbers suggest for the years ahead is a market where growth is concentrated rather than broad. The digital and connectivity-driven segments are where the additional R50.6 billion will largely accrue, while the traditional channels that once anchored the industry continue to cede share. For providers of legacy services, the challenge is adapting their delivery models to audiences who now expect content on demand, across devices, and increasingly personalised.

Stuart’s broader point is that execution alone will not settle the contest between platforms. The technology that enables delivery is multiplying the ways audiences can be reached, but the value that lasts, in his view, depends on understanding the people at the other end of the connection. In a market growing to R352.4 billion by 2030, that distinction may determine which operators convert expansion into durable revenue.

More detail on the outlook is available in the interview audio accompanying the original report by Paula Luckhoff, published on 14 October 2026.