Nollywood heavyweights support Kava in its mission to surpass the shortcomings faced by Netflix, Amazon, and IrokoTV
New Streaming Platform Kava Brings African Entertainment to the World
Kava, a new digital streaming service specializing in Nollywood and African film content, launched in August 2025. The platform aims to connect African creativity to audiences worldwide, offering a diverse range of stories in various identities, languages, and versions.
The launch of Kava comes at a time when homegrown platforms like IrokoTV have exited the Nigerian market, and global giants like Netflix and Amazon Prime are scaling back operations in Nigeria. This presents an opportunity for Kava to fill the gap and bring wider access and visibility to African entertainment.
Kava's co-CEO, Kene Okwuosa, believes that the platform will champion African music, movies, fashion, culture, and voices. Ladun Awobokun, Kava's Head of Content Acquisition, shares this vision, envisioning the platform as a platform that will not only license content but also produce original shows.
At launch, Kava will feature over 30 premium Nollywood titles, with fresh releases weekly. Some of the titles to be featured on Kava include Alakada Bad and Boujee, Owambe Thieves, What About Us, and House Job. Beyond licensing, Kava is committed to original content.
Kava has secured initial investments from a "family and friends" round, Vested World, TLG Capital, and is planning to raise more funding for rapid expansion across Africa and into Europe. The platform is subscription-based, offering an affordable way for audiences to access and enjoy African content.
At its launch event, industry veterans, filmmakers, and investors gathered to celebrate the arrival of Kava. Shaffy Bello danced joyfully amid the crowd, while Temilayo Abodunrin, a prodigy saxophonist, serenaded actor Shaffy Bello. Kava Co-CEO Onuzo highlighted the global consumption of Nigerian content, offering a promising future for the platform.
Despite the increasing popularity of Nollywood, African stories have yet to crack the code on making African stories a global streaming staple and a sustainable business. With the launch of Kava, there is hope that this will change, and African stories will find a wider audience and a more sustainable business model.
- Kava secured initial investments from a "family and friends" round, Vested World, TLG Capital, and is planning to raise more funding for rapid expansion across Africa and into Europe, demonstrating confidence in the platform's potential in the finance and business sector.
- Kava co-CEO, Kene Okwuosa, believes that the platform will champion African music, movies, fashion, culture, and voices, showcasing innovation in entertainment and technology.
- Ladun Awobokun, Kava's Head of Content Acquisition, envisions the platform as not only licensing content but also producing original shows, indicating a venture capital approach to content creation.
- The launch of Kava comes at a time when global giants like Netflix and Amazon Prime are scaling back operations in Nigeria, providing an opportunity for Kava to bring wider access and visibility to African entertainment in the technology and digital streaming industry.
- Kava has plans for expansion, aiming to connect African creativity to audiences worldwide, including Europe, and offering an affordable way for audiences to access and enjoy African content, blurring the lines between the business and entertainment sectors.
