DUANJU  NEWS

In a landscape where smartphones already dictate the pace of consumption, Nigeria appears as a natural candidate to bring duanju to Africa. However, Lagos-based project manager and producer Ajibola Olayiwola cautions that enthusiasm alone is not enough: without a method, the format will remain just a promise. Nigeria, a critical mass to transform. For Olayiwola, the potential is real, but contingent on industrial development. He states it clearly: “Nigeria can also get on boa

In the vertical drama ecosystem, Uganda sees the circulation of ultra-short series from Asia and the United States, but the founders of Binyuma TV, Edwin Ryonga and Ivan Kasagama, start from a local observation: African audiences are already watching, while a structured pan-African offering remains to be built. Their project positions itself as a platform response, designed with the continent's viewing habits in mind, with the ambition of expanding beyond the Ugandan market.

Ifeoma 'Oma Areh is working from a straightforward idea: if Africa is already consuming short-form mobile stories at scale, it now needs a method and an organization to produce, structure, and monetize that energy. Alongside Elijah Affi, she co-founded Digital Creator Africa Academy, a pan-African platform designed to train the next generation of digital storytellers specializing in microdrama and to fill a critical gap in Africa’s creator economy. Her starting point is perso

Journalist Blessing Azugama met with Akolade Bamidele, a Nigerian screenwriter who writes fiction in vertical format, to discuss how duanju concretely changes writing, how to capture attention, and the perspectives it opens up on the African continent. In her view, duanju isn't simply a format constrained by length or the phone screen. It's primarily an opportunity for writers willing to abide by its rules. "If you know how to write for the vertical format, you're ready to wr

In a conversation led by journalist Blessing Azugama, Nigerian filmmaker Ebuka Njọkụ, known for his feature film Yahoo+  , offers a precise look at an African audiovisual landscape in transition. He explains how mobile habits, Nigeria’s creative energy and the rise of a new generation of filmmakers are paving the way for a truly pan-African Duanju ecosystem. Ebuka points out that vertical storytelling is already part of everyday life across Africa: comedy sketches, short TikT

Two established companies, Night Train Media and Spirit Studios, have announced the development of a phone-native micro-drama, set to launch worldwide via Night Train Digital. The project aims to innovate by combining intimate 9:16 framing, studio-level writing, and strong emotional rhythm (“one feeling per beat”). According to Herbert L. Kloiber, CEO of Night Train Media Group: “The global rise of vertical content is something we’ve followed closely. Our goal is to raise the

For years, DramaBox has ruled the micro-drama space with outrageous billionaire romances and supernatural love stories, but now, the Singapore-based platform is rewriting its script. In an effort to outgrow its “guilty pleasure” image, DramaBox is expanding beyond werewolves and wealth to embrace something broader and surprisingly wholesome. The app’s next act includes family stories, kids’ animation, and choose-your-own-adventure dramas, all still built for the vertical scre

Xiaomi has officially entered China’s booming short drama market with the quiet release of its new ad-free app, Watch Short Dramas (WeiGuan Duanju). The app, now available exclusively on Xiaomi’s own app store, promises “massive short dramas for free without advertisements” and has already drawn over 20,000 downloads since launch. Developed by Chengdu Share Information Communication Co., Ltd, a company wholly owned by Xiaomi Group, the app reflects the tech giant’s deeper mov

In her new column Duanju Meet Africa , journalist and Africa correspondent Blessing Azugama explores the revolution of short-form storytelling across the continent. She begins with a striking observation: in today’s attention economy, the force that defines every creator’s visibility online, the length of a story no longer determines its impact. What matters now is the ability to captivate within the first three seconds. Blessing notes that fast and emotional storytelling has

When a legacy studio like FOX Entertainment turns its gaze toward a startup built on 9:16 storytelling, it’s a sign of how far vertical drama has come and how fast it’s growing. This week, FOX Entertainment announced that it has taken an equity stake in Holywater, a Ukrainian-born vertical video platform that’s rapidly becoming a creative hub for microdramas, AI-enhanced storytelling, and bite-sized emotional worlds. The deal marks more than a financial investment, it’s a cre

Across China, the once chaotic boom in micro-short dramas, those fast, emotional, and vertical-screen stories designed for phone viewers, is entering a new era of structure. Platforms and regulators are now setting formal rules for what began as a digital gold rush. From runaway hits like Escape from the British Museum  to countless “rebirth,” “hidden identity,” and “CEO love” plots, micro-dramas have captured the attention of hundreds of millions. But with this success has c

Miami-based VIP 2000 TV and Hemisphere Media Group have joined forces to co-produce three innovative vertical series, marking a major milestone in the expansion of Spanish language short-form storytelling. Each series will consist of 30 episodes of 90 seconds, tailored for mobile-first viewers across the US Hispanic market and Latin America, with global distribution in mind. This bold collaboration aims to redefine “premium short form” entertainment by delivering stories that

Alipay, China’s largest mobile payment app, has taken a bold step into entertainment with the launch of its brand-new “Alipay Short...

India is stepping into the spotlight of the global micro-drama wave, with homegrown startups, streaming majors, and international...

Registration is now open for Content London 2025, the world’s leading development market, conference, and screenings event, which will...

Costume dramas are having a major moment in the short-drama world. From breathtaking emperors to tragic princes and charming jokers, the...

In China, a quiet revolution has reshaped the way audiences consume stories. Known as Duanju, these short dramas, packaged in one to...

The global rise of short-form vertical storytelling is about to make history with the first-ever Vertical Drama Market, an industry event...

In the booming short drama industry, nothing captures the audience’s heart quite like the spark between two actors. The right pairing can...