Africa Mediaworks launches Yanga! channel for UK African diaspora
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Editor
| 05 March 2018

UK media company Africa MediaWorks has announced its first commercial endeavour in the form of Yanga!, an entertainment channel targeting the African diaspora and anyone with an interest in African culture.

Run by ex-Al Jazeera English and Bloomberg Television executive Lindsey Oliver, Yanga! is advertiser-funded and will offer a mixture of original commissions and acquired content. It will aim to deliver a wide range of programming genres from lifestyle, comedy, music and drama to kids, current affairs and news bulletins. The schedule presents a curation of content from the international diaspora and from Africa. It will initially be available on the Sky platform.

“Yanga! means self-pride and showing-off in West African pidgin, and our vision is to create a channel that celebrates the eclectic and inspirational lives and culture of Africans living in the UK,” explained Oliver. “Yanga! will nurture new talent, both in front and behind the camera which is an important part of the ambition of Africa MediaWorks, to strengthen and scale the volume and quality of African content.”

“We will deliver positive and empowering stories celebrating the cultural richness and pride emanating from the continent. African cultural influence is so prevalent in the UK right now, from music to fashion and comedy,” added programming director Simon London. “We really want to shine a light on and celebrate this significant cultural impact. Yanga! will bring Africa’s energy with content featuring its best entertainers, comedians and musicians.”