Amazon and Amazon Prime Video are aggressively expanding and investing in South Africa as they compete with rival streaming services such as Netflix South Africa, Apple TV+, MultiChoice’s Showmax, and Disney+, which is set to launch in June, as well as legacy pay-TV providers such as MultiChoice’s DStv.
As it prepares to increase its local Amazon and Amazon Prime footprint, the streaming service is poaching experienced TV executives for future South African scripted and unscripted TV programming for Amazon Prime Video in the country.
Amazon is now advertising for a senior scripted series development executive in South Africa, who will be based in Cape Town and work with Amazon Studios local originals.
They are also searching for a senior post-production executive to work on unscripted productions in the country and a senior post-production executive to work on scripted series, which will also be based in Cape Town.
Amazon is likely to favour employees from MultiChoice, M-Net, and eMedia’s e.tv who exhibit the necessary skill sets, knowledge, and local industry experience.
According to BMA Sources, the Amazon Studios TV jobs mentioned above are just a few of over 150 new jobs designated for South Africans, including area managers, software engineers, and work-from-home customer service consultants, all of which are part of Amazon’s latest round of job postings.
Amazon’s aggressive hiring comes as the company plans to build a large South African hub at the River Club grounds in Cape Town, likely with plans to appoint a local publicity team for Amazon Prime Video content after advertising for a senior social media manager for Amazon Prime Video SA for the first time in January.
Amazon Prime Video has set aside and raised a marketing budget for South Africa, including online and above-the-line advertising such as billboards.
