Renowned actor James Gardiner has underscored the crucial role social media can play in advancing the African movie industry. Speaking with Doreen Avio, the star of ‘Taste of Sin’ emphasized that many are not fully exploiting these platforms for their potential benefits.
Gardiner pointed to YouTube as a particularly underutilized resource, highlighting its significant revenue-generating potential.
“YouTube is an untapped space that people are overlooking. Just one of the productions on there has garnered about 29 million views, which shows that African movies are doing well. While bigger platforms like Netflix are also important, we need to start paying attention to YouTube as well,” he stated.
He also observed that Nigerian TV stations are more proactive than their Ghanaian counterparts in selecting and promoting movies from YouTube, often turning these films into hits.
Gardiner shared that his work in Nigeria has been successful, noting that it is not only Ghana but also other countries, especially Nigeria, that quickly pick up movies from YouTube.
“When a film drops on YouTube, within 20 to 30 minutes, other YouTube platforms—mainly based in Nigeria—start showcasing it, which can sometimes impact the original viewership,” he elaborated.
