Chinese owned digital TV, StarTimes has announced that it is making gains in Nigeria, and is therefore willing to partner with the government to actualize some of its plans. StarTimes Overseas Public Relations Director, Mr William Masy, talking to Nigerian journalists who paid him a visit at the StarTimes Corporate Headquarters in Beijing, China, said that Nigeria is its biggest market with as much as 3 million subscribers in Nigeria out of the 10 million in Africa.
According to Mr William, the company was ready to offer its expertise to help the Federal Government of Nigeria to achieve its ongoing digitalization programme. He also mentioned that the company was planning to embark on a knowledge transfer programme for young Nigerians, adding that Nigerians amounted to nearly 80 per cent of its workforce. The company’s spokesperson proceeded to say that StarTimes is in search of a suitable factory location in Nigeria where it could manufacture and assemble some of its products, similar to what is obtainable in Kenya. “As soon as we are able to secure location rights, we will definitely establish our factory in Nigeria, because Nigeria is our big market.”
StarTimes was founded in 1988, and now has subsidiaries in at least 30 countries including Rwanda, Nigeria, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Mozambique, Guinea, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and South Africa. It began its expansion into Africa sixteen years ago and has partnered several African governments in the promotion of digitalization and information.
StarTimes TV has over 480 international channels, some of the most popular African channels and Chinese mainstream media channels. Its programmes are broadcast in English, French, Portuguese, Chinese, and Swahili, and in local Nigerian languages.