In a move that will see it cement its presence in Kenya, StarTimes media has sunk in Ksh. 6.9 billion to build its African operations headquarters here in Kenya. The company which came to Kenya in 2009 plans to have the headquarters ready by 2015. All this was revealed today at the ground-breaking ceremony that was held today in Karen, Nairobi.
During the event, Dr. Hassan Wario, the Cabinet Secretary for Sports, Arts and Culture said, “I wish to commend StarTimes Media for this bold step, it is trend setting seeing that the headquarters will not only house your Africa operations, but also include a production centre that will see the growth of local productions and talents. The Government will continue to initiate efforts geared towards ensuring businesses flourish in their operations through such efforts as policy and infrastructure development.”
According to StarTimes, this new location will be 20,000 square meters and will include StarTimes African headquarters, StarTimes Kenya offices, Film and Television Dubbing Center, StarTimes Broadcast Station, Digital TV research and development centre.
This move by StarTimes is quite great for the Kenyan market that has been trying to attract foreign investments for a while. Choosing Kenya as the centre point for its African operations shows how much confidence the company has for the country. The Company also revealed that choosing Kenya as its headquarters was guided by Kenya’s strong economy, fertile investment environment and government commitment and support.
Mr. Pang Xinxing, who is the head of StarTimes said, “Since establishing our operations in Kenya, we have found a cordial operating environment that has facilitated the growth of our business. The Kenyan subscribers have equally shown an insatiable appetite for affordable digital television service, this has seen increased uptake of our service which has gone a long way in giving us confidence to set up our Africa operations in the country.”
Source [TechMoran]
