EXCLUSIVE: African entertainment heavyweight Jean du Plessis is back in action.
The senior executive was named president of Primedia Studios shortly after leaving South African pay-TV network M-Net after nearly 30 years in the job.
Additional time limits
Primedia Studios will be part of African content giant Primemedia and will position itself as South Africa's leading production and distribution company and "the preferred partner for the local and international audiovisual industry".
Du Plessis oversees licensing strategy, creative, development, location and distribution for entertainment and entertainment content. He will also lead a "robust succession strategy" to grow the next generation of Black executives into leadership roles at Primemedia.
Joining him on the project are Lindel Exuko, Chief Revenue Officer and CEO of Primedia Broadcasting, and Victoria Ramapolana, Showrunner and Project Manager. Du Plessis will report directly to Primedia Group CEO Jonathan Proctor.
The move came as a surprise when Du Plessis left M-Net to oversee corporate innovation and business in sub-Saharan Africa. He is known for producing and presenting on such formats as Big Brother, Deal or No Deal , My Kitchen Rules , The Voice and Idols and M-Net Sales Force.
He has made nearly 70 films for M-Net, many of which have received high ratings from networks such as Mzansi Magic, KykNET and M-Net Movie. Elsewhere, he founded the African Film Library (AFL), which is now one of the largest African film repositories in the world, holding over 1,000 films.
Primedia CEO Procter said, "Jean is an exceptional talent who will inspire the next generation of young people in our company and the next generation in our industry. Her innovations have created countless opportunities for audiences and advertisers. For Primedia and the rest of the African continent market, this will be a turning point for the growth of our industry." .
“I am confident that international formats, studios and territories will share our enthusiasm for the launch of Primemedia Studios,” added du Plessis.
“Our clients and advertisers can expect the best local content, including new and improved formats and personalized marketing support,” he added. “Marvel has discovered that there are superheroes in Africa too, and Wakanda can exist forever. We want to bring African characters and true stories to life in everything we do and invest every resource in the intellectual property that brings these stories to life. Energy consumption. And for Primedia Group, Primedia Studios will have high-quality African-inspired content that will resonate with audiences around the world.
South African businesses are still predominantly white, which is why Proctor spoke about the importance of the second half of Du Plessis' role. "Our investment in Black talent is a key part of Primedia's strategy," he said. “Our commitment to change is non-negotiable. We know it will benefit not only our people, but industry and the world, so we have deliberately put it high on our agenda.”
Following du Plessis' exit from M-Net, the pay-per-view giant consolidated its core management teams under KykNET channel director Valdimar Pelser.
Best time
Sign up for the latest newsletter. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for the latest news.
Click here to read the full article.
