“Half the Screen Is Offline”: Why Africa’s Creators Are Losing the Global Race

Almost half of African content producers say their internet simply isn’t keeping up and that digital drag is silently strangling the continent’s creative potential. A new 2025 survey by Broadcast Media Africa (BMA) reveals that 48% of creators are battling unreliable connectivity, a major blow to their ability to work globally. 

Imagine this:

A young animator in Nairobi finally gets the email she’s been dreaming of; a studio in Toronto wants to collaborate on a pilot. They send her a link to the project files.

She clicks “download.”

And waits.

And waits.

And waits.

By the time her internet reconnects, the opportunity is gone.The studio has moved on.

This isn’t fiction. This is the everyday reality for nearly half of Africa’s content producers and talented creators who are technically brilliant but digitally stranded.

Why Poor Internet Isn’t Just a Headache, It’s a Barrier

• Cloud Tools Underused: Despite the promise of remote workflows and global collaboration, the survey shows 91% of creators use cloud-based production tools only occasionally or not at all.

  
  

• Unstable Power Makes It Worse: Around 13% of respondents also report regular power outages, making it even harder to upload large files or stay online for key meetings. 

  
  

• Old Gear, New Dreams: While many African studios generate tremendous creative output, 70% say their production equipment is only “moderately modern.” 

  
  

• Uneven Delivery Systems: To make up for connectivity issues, some creators rely on hybrid broadcast models combining satellite and fiber  but those solutions are still patchy.

The True Cost: Doors That Never Open

Whether it’s a pitch meeting, funding call, virtual festival Q&A, or shared editing environment, poor connectivity directly translates into:

• Missed deadlines

• Lost partnerships

• Delayed feedback loops

• Limited access to global markets

• Reduced competitiveness for grants and co-productions

  
  

Every time a filmmaker in Lagos can’t upload a scene, or an animator in Kampala can’t sync files with a Paris team, Africa’s creative economy loses something bigger than data — it loses momentum.