CNBC Africa

What CNBC Africa does

CNBC Africa (legally Africa Business News Pty. Ltd.) is the first and only dedicated pan-African business and financial news television network, established in 2007 and headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa. The company delivers real-time business news, market data, and editorial coverage across the African continent through a multi-platform architecture combining linear live TV broadcasting, a digital streaming service, and hosted in-person business events. Its core technology integrates live market data feeds from major African exchanges (JSE, NSE, NGX) along with FX, commodities, and cryptocurrency pricing, paired with regional editorial programming (Power Lunch and Closing Bell editions for Southern, West, and East Africa) and thematic content hubs (Visa Fintech Accelerator, Standard Bank Impact Series, Rwanda, Connecting Nations, Financial Education).

The company operates a B2B-advertising model, monetizing primarily through quote-based, multi-year advertising and sponsorship contracts with enterprises seeking reach into Africa's business leaders, investors, and policymakers. Marquee sponsorship partnerships include Visa (fintech coverage) and Standard Bank (impact investing), complemented by event-based revenue from summits such as the CNBC Africa Business Breakfast. Customer segments are defined as horizontal personas rather than named accounts: business leaders and executives (primary), individual and institutional investors (primary), and government policymakers (secondary). The leadership team is led by Chairman Zafar Siddiqi, Co-Founder and Vice Chairman Rakesh Wahi, and Executive Director Sidharth Wahi, with the company remaining privately held under Africa Business News Pty. Ltd. with no disclosed parent, institutional investors, or funding rounds.

Name

CNBC Africa

Legal name

Africa Business News Pty. Ltd.

Website

https://cnbcafrica.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

CNBC Africa is a pan-African business and financial news television network delivering live broadcasts, real-time market data, and hosted events to investors, executives, and policymakers across Africa since 2007.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Business News and Financial Media Broadcasting

NAICS

Television Broadcasting Stations (51612), Broadcasting and Content Providers (516)

SIC

Television Broadcasting Stations (4833)

akta.pro primary industry

International TV Broadcasters (Free-to-Air/Satellite/Cable) (MPABAEAJ)

Keywords

• Business news broadcasting
• Financial television network
• African market data
• Pan-African media
• Business events sponsorship

Headquarters

HQ city

Johannesburg

HQ country

South Africa

HQ region

Africa

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Advertising and Sponsorship: CNBC Africa generates revenue through advertising placements and sponsorships, offering businesses the opportunity to reach the channel's audience of business leaders, investors, and decision-makers across Africa.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

CNBC Africa is a pan-African business and financial television network that broadcasts live business news, market data, and editorial programming across Southern, West, and East Africa. It distributes content via linear TV, a digital live-streaming platform, and in-person business events, providing real-time quotes and indices from major African exchanges including JSE, NSE, and NGX. Revenue is generated primarily through advertising and corporate sponsorship packages sold to businesses seeking access to Africa's business leaders and investors.

Product overview

CNBC Africa is a pan-African business and financial news television channel operating as a multi-platform media network. The core offering consists of live television broadcast streaming combined with real-time African market data across equities, cryptocurrencies, foreign exchange, and commodities. The platform delivers content through regional programs (Power Lunch variants for Southern, West, and East Africa; Closing Bell regional wrap shows) and thematic sections covering Economy, Trade, Technology, and Climate. Additional value-add services include hosted events (summits, forums, business breakfasts), special reports, and insights hubs focusing on specific regions and topics. The product architecture is unified around live video streaming with supplementary market data widgets and editorial content organized by region and topic.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Power Lunch: Daily business news program covering markets and economic developments
• Closing Bell

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• VisacoreGTM or Marketing PartnerVisa and CNBC Africa partner on the Visa Fintech Accelerator hub, providing coverage and visibility for fintech innovation across Africa.
• Standard BankcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerStandard Bank partners with CNBC Africa on the Impact Series, providing sponsorship and content collaboration focused on sustainable finance and impact investing in Africa.
• FORBES WOMAN AFRICAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCNBC Africa covers and collaborates with FORBES WOMAN AFRICA events including the Leading Women Summit, providing media coverage and content distribution.
• Nigeria Oil and Gas Energy WeekminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCNBC Africa provides coverage and features interviews with industry experts at the Nigeria Oil and Gas Energy Week conference in Abuja.
• Whale CircleminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoshua Johnson and Alex Grey launched the 'Whale Circle: Unchartered Waters' series on CNBC Africa, exploring the impact of technology, finance, and infrastructure on African economies.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• African Business (IC Publications): Pan-African business magazine and digital platform covering African markets, trade, and investment. Overlaps in audience (African business leaders, investors, policymakers) and editorial positioning, though print/digital-led rather than live-TV.

Broad incumbents

• Reuters: Global news and financial data provider with dedicated Reuters Africa coverage. Competes for the same institutional investor and corporate audience across African markets, with broader geographic and topic coverage but less Africa-specific editorial depth and live-TV presence.
• Financial Times: Global business newspaper with substantial Africa coverage and a high-income executive reader base. Targets a similar C-suite/investor audience across Africa, with a subscription-led digital model that contrasts with CNBC Africa's ad-supported TV-led approach.
• Bloomberg: Global financial news giant with Bloomberg Africa editorial coverage. Overlaps directly with CNBC Africa's core proposition (real-time market data, business news, executive audience) but operates as a broad global incumbent rather than a pan-African specialist.

Others

• CNBC (Global / NBCUniversal): Global licensor and brand partner for CNBC Africa. Not a direct competitor in the African market but governs brand standards, potential licensing economics, and strategic alignment that materially shape CNBC Africa's product and positioning.

Regional players

• Newzroom Afrika: South African 24-hour news channel covering business, politics, and current affairs. Competes for the same South African business audience and advertiser base, but is national rather than pan-African and less specialized in financial markets.
• Channels Television: Nigerian 24-hour news channel with significant business programming. Competes for the West African executive audience and advertiser relationships, particularly relevant given CNBC Africa's Nigerian Exchange (NGX) market data integration.
• Business Day (South Africa): Leading South African business newspaper and digital platform with deep coverage of JSE-listed companies and African markets. Competes for the same Southern African executive and investor audience through complementary (print/digital) rather than TV-first format.
• eNCA (eNews Channel Africa): South Africa's leading 24-hour TV news channel with strong business coverage. Targets the same corporate and executive audience in Southern Africa and competes for the same advertising pool, though it is national in scope and not financial-markets focused.

Direct peers

• Arise News: Pan-African business and current affairs TV channel broadcasting from Johannesburg. Closest direct competitor to CNBC Africa on product (pan-African live business news TV) and customer base (African business leaders and investors), with similar multi-platform distribution.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cnbcafrica
• Facebookfacebook.com/cnbcafrica
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cnbc-africa

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about CNBC Africa