When it comes to watching prime time television in Ghana, a West African country with over 30 million people, audiences today have a wide range of options for filling their time with various types of programming, with Chinese dramas standing out among them.
Han Junyong, Country Director of the Chinese media group StarTimes in Ghana, told BMA sources that Chinese TV dramas are becoming increasingly popular among Ghanaian audiences. “According to market research, Ghanaians prefer not only traditional Chinese fairy tale dramas but also modern dramas depicting urban life, particularly those with comedy and family relationship components,” Han said.
To meet the fast-growing needs of African viewers, Han noted that the company had developed specific channels such as Chinese drama and Kung Fu channels with plenty of shows dubbed in English.
“There is no doubt that Chinese dramas have provided local viewers with a window into the lives of Chinese people, and they found it interesting to learn that they share many similar thoughts with Chinese people in various aspects of social life,” Han said, adding that TV dramas have played an essential role in the cultural exchange between the two sides.
According to Rebecca Obieley Tetteh, a Chinese language enthusiast in Ghana, the production of Chinese dramas holds many beneficial lessons for Ghana’s TV industry.
“TV serials should be educational and closer to normal people’s life, and I believe we can learn a lot from China in that regard,” she remarked.
