Is Kenya’s Digital Success Is Fuelling A Piracy Crisis?

Kenya has emerged as one of Africa’s foremost digital powerhouses over the past decade. Our impressive internet penetration, robust mobile adoption, and voracious appetite for online content rightfully place us alongside much larger economies.

We are celebrated as Africa’s Silicon Savannah—a dynamic landscape where innovation flourishes, start-ups thrive, and consumers eagerly embrace the latest technologies, often before they hit the market.

However, within this remarkable success lies a troubling paradox: our digital sophistication has also positioned Kenya as Africa’s prime hotspot for piracy. Alarming data reveals that piracy is siphoning off a substantial percentage of revenue from the content industry.  According to recent estimates, 17.4 million visits were recorded at the top 10 piracy sites across five African nations, with Kenya leading the charge at 7 million visits, followed by South Africa at 5 million, Ghana at 2.4 million, Nigeria at 2.3 million, and Tanzania at 626,000 visits.

This rampant piracy denies our creative sector millions of shillings—funds that could fuel the production of local shows, create thousands of jobs, and enhance the quality of the entertainment we all cherish. Compounding this issue is the irony that the very technology enabling us to stream, share, and enjoy content at lightning speed is also fueling the rampant spread of pirated materials.

For many Kenyans, piracy is perceived not as a crime but as a mere convenience—a link from a friend, a USB with “just one movie,” or a website streaming the latest blockbuster for free. It appears easy and justifiable to many, often accompanied by the weak argument that “content is too expensive.”

Yet this notion of “free” content comes with profound consequences. It translates into lost livelihoods for actors, camera crews, editors, set designers, sound engineers, marketers, and countless others whose futures depend on the legitimate production and sale of creative works.

Accepting “free” content ultimately means settling for lower-quality productions. When revenues are drained by piracy, the budgets allocated for creating original, high-quality local content diminish, leading to slower economic growth in a creative industry that has the potential to be a formidable driver of GDP.

To effectively combat piracy, we must move beyond mere enforcement; we need to tackle the root causes that drive individuals to seek pirated content. Initiatives like MultiChoice Kenya’s Tumefungulia GoTV campaign are crucial. By lowering subscription prices for GoTV packages, this initiative makes quality entertainment accessible, allowing more households to enjoy a diverse range of channels legally and affordably.

Such initiatives underscore a vital truth: when legitimate content is affordable and accessible, consumers are far less likely to pursue illegal alternatives. However, this battle cannot be fought in isolation; it demands stronger laws, more robust enforcement, and clear penalties from policymakers. Collaborating with the Kenya Copyright Board (KECOBO), for instance, enables us to launch powerful public education campaigns that reinforce the message that piracy is theft, deeply impacting the livelihoods involved.

Moreover, collaboration with technology platforms and internet service providers is essential to swiftly identify and dismantle illegal content. Perhaps most crucially, we need a transformative shift in consumer perceptions. For too many, piracy feels inconsequential—a harmless shortcut to content. Changing this mindset is no small feat, but it is imperative.

We must also humanize the impact of piracy. When individuals grasp that their favourite actor may not return for another season due to crippling revenue losses or that the camera operator they know personally lost work because a film didn’t break even, the issue becomes relatable and urgent.

Kenya’s digital transformation stands as one of our greatest achievements and should inspire national pride, rather than serving as a source of vulnerability for our creative industries. By integrating affordability with strong anti-piracy policies, raising public awareness, and fostering a cultural shift that values and compensates for quality content, we can turn the tide. Our digital success story has the potential to be one of innovation, opportunity, and vibrant creative industries. The time to leverage this potential is now.

Read Also: Why Content Piracy Is An Insidious Challenge Set To Kill Creatives

Leonard Agufa is the  Head of Operations Support, MultiChoice Kenya.