MBI empowers creatives to share Afrocentric stories

Murphy Ben International (MBI), led by CEO Murphy Anawana, is a leading media house in Africa. Founded in 2009, MBI has grown to be Africa’s largest YouTube partner, connecting over 200 million viewers monthly.

With over 10 years of consistency and connecting creators both in Africa and around the world, MBI has amassed close to 300 staff working across Africa, Europe and America. And with offices in the United States of America, Nigeria, Kenya, Cameroon, Congo, South Africa, Senegal, France, and Canada.

Murphy Anawana’s idea of MBI and its sister company AFOREVO, an acronym for African Online Revolution, stemmed from a desire to change the global mindset about Africa. AFOREVO is a platform dedicated to showcasing African talent and content. The company’s expansive portfolio encompasses content distribution on YouTube and Facebook, Vybz TV, Dubbing services, providing reliable internet via MBI Networks, TV production, Vybz 94.5FM Radio station and the operation of TV channels on satellites throughout sub-Saharan Africa, with a special focus on Francophone African countries.

MBI’s success story is not limited to being YouTube’s biggest partner in Africa. One of MBI’s major successes is its Lagos-based youth-centric radio station, Vybz 94.5 FM. Launched by Mark Redguard, the head of Branding and Marketing Communication. In his words – Our station is all about music and content for the young generation. In just two years, Vybz 94.5 FM secured 16% of the radio audience in Lagos, reaching 1.5 million listeners.

Murphy Ben International is known for its ability to identify and engage target audiences effectively both in Africa and internationally. Murphy, who is currently at the Toronto International Film Festival 2024 in Canada talks about how international film festivals are crucial for connecting with producers and building valuable networks. In his words, “These platforms open doors for global distribution and help us form meaningful partnerships to share African stories with the world.”

One of MBI’s core businesses is Aforevo, Africa’s largest YouTube aggregator. Aforevo manages over 200 million monthly views across multiple channels, helping filmmakers and content creators optimise their content for greater reach and visibility. Aforevo offers channel management, content strategy, and production support.

For better reach and visibility, MBI recognised the need to be able to reach other audiences in their various languages so a dubbing service was launched to cater for Africa and beyond. By eliminating the language barrier between people and cultures, MBI was able to penetrate an untapped audience by providing a seamless way to engage viewers who may not speak English but are interested in diverse content. MBI’s dubbing services help filmmakers and content creators reach new audiences by translating their content into multiple languages, including English, French, Pidgin, Lingala, Hausa, Igbo and many more.

Aside from YouTube and Facebook, MBI also plans to launch a streaming platform Revo+. This streaming service will be dedicated to promoting Afrocentric content. Revo+ is actively filming both original and commissioned films. This serves as a great opportunity for filmmakers and content creators with Arocentric content to submit their projects and showcase their work.

Revo+ will not just be a platform for Africans; it will also give Black creators from around the world an opportunity to share stories that celebrate African heritage and culture with the world.

Murphy Ben International is a company with deep knowledge of African media and global content distribution, MBI is an ideal partner for creators looking to tap into new markets. By leveraging the company’s YouTube expertise, dubbing services, and streaming platform, filmmakers and content creators can expand and connect with millions of viewers who appreciate diverse and high-quality content.