Redefining Nollywood: Kava’s Global Streaming Success Fueled by Smart Multi-Currency Payment Integration

About Kava

Launched in 2015 and powered by Muvi One, Kava, or Kava.tv is a subscription-based streaming platform that streams  Nigerian and African stories, aiming to bring premium African cinema to a global audience through its website and various OTT streaming applications, soon to be launched. 

A reputed African firm in Africa, Kava, is already breaking streaming records and is owned by Filmhouse Group and Inkblot Studios. It has created a vast library of films and original content that is accessible worldwide, while also serving local audiences. With an aim to build a Netflix-style platform, Kava is focused on retelling diverse and authentic African narratives to the world. 

Kava’s dual-market approach, serving both domestic Nigerian audiences and the global African diaspora, allows it to cater to millions of potential subscribers across geographies such as Nigeria, other African nations, the U.S., U.K., Canada, Europe, and the Caribbean.

Challenges Faced By Kava

When Kava was first conceptualized, it had several issues to discuss and consider. From technical and operational hurdles of a streaming platform to market penetration, problems were many, time was less, and a lot had to be done. The African entertainment ecosystem is booming and expanding rapidly, making timing extremely crucial.

The goal was to have a stable, fully functional streaming website ready for an early-access launch by mid-2025, with mobile and TV apps to follow shortly after. The challenges were not one but many. 

• Kava is a global platform, and hence it requires a multi-currency subscription and provision to add regional payment options. 
• Kava’s focus was also to deploy a complex discount and pricing logic, beginning with a 50% introductory discount on all subscriptions for the first 10 days of the launch.
• Kava needed a robust CMS capable of efficiently managing hundreds of gigabytes of content with support for quick uploads, metadata tagging, and future scalability.
• As a brand representing the best of African creativity, Kava needed its platform to reflect premium design aesthetics and cultural authenticity. The off-the-shelf template wasn’t enough.
• In addition to all of these, Kava aims to be a multi-platform compatible platform with a strong technology foundation to integrate apps for both the Apple and Android ecosystems seamlessly.

The massive project required strong technical backing, combined with a strong multifaceted content management and distribution module, and that is where Kava decided to partner with Muvi as its streaming software solution partner. 

How Muvi Helped Bring Kava to Reality

To bring this ambitious project to life, Kava partnered with Muvi One, Muvi’s flagship OTT platform solution. The partnership focused on enabling end-to-end OTT operations from hosting and delivery to monetization, analytics, and app management, all within one unified ecosystem.

Muvi’s team of dedicated engineers deployed Muvi One Enterprise to meet Kava’s requirements and developed a fully functional SVOD-driven OTT streaming platform with the following feature integrations. 

Multi-Platform Streaming Solution Development

Kava decided to go for the ultimate streaming weapon, Muvi One Enterprise, giving them a full suite of mobile, TV, and mobile applications at their disposal. These included iOS, Android TV, Fire TV, Apple TV, and Samsung TV apps. With the website live and performing well, all other apps are currently in development. Muvi One ensured Kava had a ready and scalable technology foundation, with Kava left to focus only on content acquisition, marketing, and creative strategy.

Geo-Specific Payments & Multi-Currency Support

Since Kava planned to go global, Muvi One’s enterprise plan ensured that same was achieved using a multi-currency model that supports 45+ currencies under a single subscription plan. Through a combination of Stripe and Paystack integration, Muvi enabled Kava to offer localized payment options while maintaining centralized control over billing. Geo-specific configurations were applied as needed. For example, Stripe was disabled in Nigeria, and only Paystack handles all local transactions. 

Seamless Content Management Through Muvi CMS

All of Kava’s content is uploaded and managed via Muvi’s iconic Muvi One CMS, designed on cloud-based architecture and built-in CDN delivering buffer-free content all over the globe, and an easy drag & drop interface to upload, categorize, and publish content. Muvi One’s CMS is the only interface Kava needs to launch content across all its content across its wide range of apps and website options. A single source for all content publishing needs.

Fully Customizable Website Design Using Visual Designer

Kava worked closely with Muvi’s design team to fully customize their platform using Muvi Visual Designer (VD). Through multiple design sessions, Muvi guided Kava in achieving its desired look and feel, launching a Netflix styled OTT streaming platform that aligns with African aesthetics and a user-friendly design. Have a look at their website. 

Resourceful Analytics to Understand Metrics Better

Muvi One lets Kava track multiple KPIs so that they, as well as us, understand what is working and what needs improvement. KPIs tracked are as follows:

• Number of Users
• Content Uploaded (GB)
• Content Uploaded (Nos)
• Total Hrs Watched
• Total Views so far
• Bandwidth(GB)
• Avg. logins by Admin/month
• Avg tickets/month

Suggest IQ: Intelligent Recommendation Engine Deployment

AI is everywhere, and Kava wanted an intelligent recommendation engine for their subscribers, and that is where SuggestIQ came into the picture. Suggest IQ is an AI-powered recommendation engine that enables a personalized user experience across websites and apps. Not only that, it even automates video workflows, making the task of admins easier than ever. 

Dedicated Support & Account Management

Muvi was and will be there for Kava throughout its partnership with Muvi. Through Muvi’s dedicated support system and account managers, a seamless operational protocol was established that ensured bottlenecks were avoided and operations ran smoothly. 

Kava’s partnership with Muvi demonstrates the power of technology-enabled storytelling. In less than a year, the platform has transformed from an idea into a global entertainment destination for African content, powered entirely by Muvi’s robust OTT ecosystem.

Why Choose Muvi for Your Streaming Business?

The success of Kava’s African-first global streaming platform is a direct result of the strategic partnership with Muvi. Muvi One’s end-to-end OTT solution provided the exact features and scalability Kava needed to launch its commercial-scale video streaming platform globally. If you’re looking for a platform that can give you a complete end-to-end solution to manage and stream your content, Muvi is the one-stop solution for it. Want to learn more about Muvi One and how it can help you launch your streaming service? Get a free 14-day trial today.