Africa Rising: How 900 Million African Consumers Offer More Than You Think

7. Hello to Nollywood: Opportunities in Media and Entertainment

Africa is already a long way away from the days when most televisions could receive only two state-sponsored channels. Satellite, radio, Internet, and other media are expanding along with the meteoric rise of cell phones. Nigeria’s Nollywood and other film centers across Africa are growing and gaining global recognition. From billboards on the sides of buildings to events in rural areas, there are many creative ways to get messages out to the most remote parts of the continent.

When I met him one evening in July 2006 in Cairo, Amin El Masri was heading out the door to deal with another emergency at the hospital. He is not a doctor. He is director of several acclaimed films who was ...