MTN Group is paying for African-made micro-dramas to be produced for its MTN One TV streaming platform, MyBroadband reported. The company hopes the short videos will bring in new revenue.
Bloomberg said in August that micro-dramas were one of the fastest-growing entertainment formats in the world. It expected revenues to reach R423 billion by 2030 for the companies that sell them.
“Introduced in line with MTN’s Ambition 2030 strategy, MTN One TV brings together local storytelling, live channels, international programming, and market-specific viewing options,” MTN said when it launched the platform.
Micro-dramas are vertical short videos that tell a story in clips of two to three minutes. The format started in countries such as South Korea and China. Episodes often end on cliffhangers so that viewers come back.
Earlier productions used real actors. More recent ones rely more on AI-generated content, MyBroadband reported.
The apps post their videos on social media to draw viewers. They make money through subscriptions, in-app currencies, or free viewing in exchange for watching adverts. Some make free users wait a set time before the next video.
Bloomberg said the micro-drama market in China earned more than the movie box office for a second year in a row.
A Sensor Tower report published in June 2026 said global short-drama app downloads grew by more than 140% between the first quarter of 2024 and the first quarter of 2026. In Southeast Asia, short drama apps reached 300 million downloads in the first quarter of 2026. Downloads of streaming apps there fell to less than 150 million.
“Downloads climbed sharply through 2025 and into Q1 2026 across Southeast Asia, Latin America, and India,” Sensor Tower said.
African markets have not yet taken to micro-dramas in the same way as Latin America or Asia, MyBroadband reported.
MTN said MTN One TV was designed to give customers flexibility in how they watch content. The service includes free-to-view content, ad-supported streaming, subscriptions and pay-as-you-watch access. It replaces MTN Vu, an earlier streaming service that was shut down.
“Depending on local availability, customers may be able to pay through airtime, Mobile Money, and other locally supported payment methods, helping reduce barriers to streaming access,” MTN said.
The platform already offers micro-dramas from foreign production companies. In September, MTN announced it was looking for content creators across Africa to pitch film projects for MTN One TV.
The group partnered with MIP Africa in Cape Town to host the pitch sessions. MIP Africa organises film and digital content distribution events.
MTN wants drama, reality, comedy, romance, action, thriller and animation. Pitches are open to established African producers who work at registered production companies.
“Lead producers must have a minimum of seven years’ professional industry experience, a relevant production track record and the rights or authority to represent the submitted project,” MIP Africa said.
“A limited number of projects will be shortlisted to pitch in person to MTN One TV at FAME Week Africa 2026 in Cape Town,” MIP Africa said.
Source: this article is based on reporting by MyBroadband. Image: MyBroadband. Written with the help of AI and published by the Tzaneen Voice Entertainment desk. See our Editorial Standards.
Rirhandzu Baloyi writes about entertainment for Tzaneen Voice. Rirhandzu covers South African music, film, TV, streaming, awards and celebrity news, from amapiano and local soapies to Showmax and Netflix releases. Stories stick to what happened, who was involved and when fans can watch or listen.