The new show will also serves as a platform to train hundreds of professionals in scriptwriting, production, direction, post-production, as well as artistic and technical roles.
Audiovisual producer Mediawan Africa, the Republic of Benin, the emerging cultural center of Africa, and TV5Monde have announced their partnership to develop an original daily fiction series, The Best Is Yet To Come. The French-language series will comprise 220 episodes of 26 minutes each.
The creative teams of Keewu Production, producer of Mediawan Africa, and TV5Monde will work closely with talents who will have benefited from training (writing workshops) organised with the support of the Beninese government, which is keen to accelerate the development of the audiovisual sector. The Beninese government will drive the initiative through Sèmè City, a regional hub of excellence in higher education, innovation, and entrepreneurship, and through the Arts and Culture Development Agency (ACDA), which ensures the professional development and promotion of talent in the industry.
The Best Is Yet To Come further offers a unique opportunity to train hundreds of professionals in various fields, from scriptwriting to production, direction, post-production, as well as artistic and technical roles.
The collaboration aims to create the first daily TV series that caters to a vast family-oriented audience in French-speaking Africa. The series will portray students who navigate the path to adulthood, caught between tradition and modernity. The Best Is Yet To Come seeks to provide new generations with a window into stories that resonate with them and positively shape the global perception of Africa.
The show will also significantly contribute to structuring the media sector by creating jobs for hundreds of writers, artists, and technicians, thereby nurturing the development of many emerging talents in Africa.
The new campus of Sèmè City, an ecocity developed over 350 hectares in Ouidah, will host the studio projects, the training center, and the filming locations for the show.
Speaking about the new show, François Thiellet, President of Mediawan Africa., said: “We are very proud to co-develop the very first daily series of this scale for Africa, in collaboration with such prestigious partners as TV5Monde, whose expertise and know-how are essential for a project of this ambition, and the Republic of Benin. The commitment, determination, and political vision of Benin in investing in the development of the audiovisual industry convinced us to actively participate in the creation of this new audiovisual hub. The production of premium series aimed at a broad audience and talent development make The best is yet to come a perfect embodiment of the development strategy implemented by Mediawan Africa”.
Yves Bigot, CEO of TV5Monde added: “The best is yet to come will be the crown jewel in TV5Monde politics of investment in African production, going back fifteen years, which makes our eight tv channels, streaming service TV5Mondeplus and our app TV5MondeAfrica, the worldwide broadcaster of African movies and tv series.”
Commenting on the involvement of the Republic of Benin, Jean-Michel Abimbola, Minister of Tourism, Culture, and Arts of Benin, said: “We take pride in standing on the brink of a new era in the screen industries in Benin, thanks to this groundbreaking partnership with Mediawan Africa and TV5Monde. By supporting this innovative project, Benin asserts itself as the emerging cultural center of Africa, prepared to unveil its exceptional heritage to the world. The best is yet to come is more than just a series; it is a celebration of Beninese and African talents. We look forward to seeing this inspiring collaboration come to life.”
