The Growth Thread

Wabona, an African content video streaming startup, hailed as the Netflix of Africa ceased operations in July 2015. The company, co-founded by Simbarashe Mabasha and Simukayi Mukuna, attributed the closure to an inability to secure additional funding and the challenging landscape of the African video-on-demand (VoD) market. The duo announced the platform's closure in late July 2015, followed by a website shutdown and customer refunds. In a statement, they expressed their disappointment but maintained their belief in the potential of African content. Mabasha elaborated on the challenges, citing a competitive VoD market struggling to find sustainable business models. Despite the setback, he remained optimistic about the future of African video content and began developing a new project. Previously, Mabasha shared insights on African startups and their challenges in an exclusive guest post for Disrupt Africa. What could have been done differently? Staggered growth : This is a rarely p