Shanty Town ranks top as most watched Nollywood movie on Netflix Africa

Chichi Nworah’s Shanty Town has been rated the most-streamed African Original in Nigeria, and the second most-streamed across the continent, according to Netflix’s first-ever “What We Watched: A Netflix Engagement Report”  released on Tuesday by Netflix.

The report shows what  subscribers are watching and covers hours viewed from January to June 2023.

Shanty Town, a bold crime drama produced by Chichi Nworah, depicts the dark and chaotic life of the Lagos underground world. It was buzz of the town when it was released early this year.

Shanty Town’s success is a testament to the growing hunger for authentic African stories, told by African voices.

Nworah, a Nigerian filmmaker with a knack for weaving complex narratives, has crafted a world teeming with raw emotion, social commentary, and nail-biting suspense.

The show delves into the lives of struggling residents in a Lagos slum, but their aspirations and struggles echoed across the continent. Nworah’s creation resonated deeply with the African audience, proving that Nigerian story-telling can compete with the best on a global stage.

With 27.3 million hours viewed between January and June 2023, Shanty Town trails only South Africa’s Unseen, a gripping mystery thriller, with 60 million hours.

The inaugural “What We Watched” report is the first of what will become a biannual report providing insights into viewership trends, covering key aspects such as hours viewed, premiere dates, and global availability. The report represents 99 percent of Netflix viewing and covers over 18,000 titles, totalling nearly 100 billion hours, for a complete view of what’s being watched.

Shanty Town, directed by Dimeji Ajibola, features Ini Edo , Chidi Mokeme, Nse Ikpe-Etim, Mercy Eke, Nancy Isime, Zubby Michael, Uche Jombo, Richard Mofe Damijo, Peter Okoye (Psquare).

Chichi recently produced Slum King, an Africa Magic original. Slum King, a ten-episode series also made waves across Africa as viewers of the show on Africa Magic Showcase expressed their eagerness to see Season 2 after a great first run.