Binyuma TV's "African touch" strategy for the Duanju format

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.

From observation to platform: why Binyuma TV

The starting point is very concrete. Observing his surroundings, one of the co-founders describes a format already ubiquitous in Kampala: "It seems like everyone I know, at least in Uganda, watches them, but nobody creates them." The idea for Binyuma TV was born from this asymmetry between consumption and production, and from a simple cultural conviction: "Africans like to watch their own content. That's really where the idea for Binyuma started to take shape."

In their view, the timing is favorable for a structural reason: Africa is a phone-first market. If vertical drama has taken hold elsewhere, it's also because it aligns with the fast-paced, fragmented, and repeatable nature of mobile consumption. In the interview, they connect this shift to what they've observed in other markets: in China, and then in the United States, the format has reportedly surpassed traditional consumption patterns, prompting them to take the phenomenon seriously and adapt it to local offerings.

The challenge isn't simply to replicate a model. They emphasize the need to "localize" vertical drama, both narratively and culturally. Their interpretation of the format's success rests on dramatic intensity, expressiveness, and immediately accessible narrative devices. They cite archetypes of romance and social contrast, a fast pace, and above all, a central promise: what happens next, right now?

This global “grammar,” they argue, only has value if it is reframed by African codes. In their formulation, it's about respecting what works in the vertical space while adding “the African touch.” The platform is designed with this logic in mind: to give a stable form to a demand already visible on social networks, but by transforming it into culturally grounded content and a catalog.

Binyuma TV presents itself from the outset as a project with broader ambitions than its point of origin. They explain that they began by exchanging ideas with tech professionals, then formalizing an approach that could “introduce this to not only the people in Uganda and in Africa.” In other words: a Ugandan base, but a continental horizon.

Regarding the signs of growth, they remain cautious but optimistic. They mention encouraging feedback from discussions with vertical content stakeholders, and a positive perception when the argument for African localization is understood. They also point to a simple on-the-ground indicator: the already strong performance of non-fiction vertical content on TikTok and Reels, seen as proof of appetite, even before the rise of scripted vertical dramas.

Interview conducted by Blessing Azugama

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