2024 in review: What Kenyans watched on Showmax

From thrilling dramas and captivating reality shows to groundbreaking Original productions, 2024 was a big year for Showmax.  

In Kenya alone, the African streamer launched a record 12 Original titles in 2024, doubling its Originals from 2023. Starting off with Single Kiasi S3 in March; The Real Housewives of Nairobi S2, Untying Kantai S1, Nilichoma S1 and Big Girl Small World S1 in May; Jiji S1 in June; Nai-Rich S1 in August; Subterranea S1 in September; Black & Blue S1 and 4Play S1 in November; The Hot Seat S1 and Nairobi Bachelor S1 in December. 

2024 also marked the relaunch of Showmax in Kenya and the rest of its African markets following the partnership between MultiChoice and international media heavyweight Comcast’s NBCUniversal and Sky in 2023.  

2024 viewing statistics released by Showmax showed that homegrown content continued to dominate alongside international hits like 2023 Golden Globe’s Best TV Drama winner House of the Dragon and South Africa’s hit reality show The Real Housewives of Durban. 

Please see below a full list of the top 10 most-watched titles on Showmax in 2024: 

Top 10 most-watched titles on Showmax in 2024

*Please note that this list is arranged in alphabetical order

Major milestones from Showmax in 2024 

Showmax relaunches 

In May 2024, Showmax officially relaunched in Kenya with a brand-new look, new app, and entirely new product suite following the partnership announcement between MultiChoice and international media heavyweight Comcast’s NBCUniversal and Sky in 2023. Powered by Peacock’s leading technology, the new platform debuted more than 1 300 hours of Showmax Originals across Africa – averaging more than 3.5 hours of brand-new local content daily.  

Showmax launches Kenya’s first sci-fi series  

Launched in September, Subterranea became the first Kenyan sci-fi show to debut in the market to rave reviews with critics and audiences alike.  

Business Daily described Subterranea as an “ambitious sci-fi drama” while Sinema Focus termed the Original as a “series that breaks new ground”.  

Directed by Likarion Wainaina and written by Brian Munene, Subterranea followed eight participants of a psychological experiment gone wrong.  

The show assembled a stellar ensemble cast that included Kalasha winners Foi Wambui (Crime & Justice), Peter Kawa (County 49), and Nice Githinji (The Caller); Kalasha nominees Melvin Alusa and Melissa Kiplagat (both from Country Queen); Philippa Ndisi-Herrmann, Makena Kahuha (Kina), Biko Nyongesa (Sense8), Pauline Komu (Groove Theory), Kenyan Theatre Awards winner Dadson Gakenga (Subira), and newcomer Chintu Chudasama.  

Keep a look out as this show looks to snag big nominations at the AMVCAs and Kalasha Awards later this year.  

Showmax launches their first Kenyan Original docuseries  

2024 also saw the debut of  Showmax’s first Kenyan Original docuseries, Nilichoma, featuring well-known local figures who have received an unexpected windfall – and then blew it all. According to the show producer Ahmed Deen, “Nilichoma is a collection of these dreams, shared by personalities we have grown up with and dreamt of being. These personalities either inherited, won or were awarded sums of money beyond their wildest dreams. But these dreams turned into a nightmare, and once they hit rock bottom, all that was left were hard lessons learned.” 

Some of the familiar faces in the series included cricket icon Maurice Odumbe; comedian JB Masandaku; David Ogot, son of renowned author and politician Grace Ogot; and former Samburu millionaire Gabriel Lengishili. 

Showmax was the most-nominated platform at Kalasha Awards 2024 

Following its one-year hiatus, the Kalasha International Film and TV Awards returned in 2024, with Showmax leading the nominations.  

Showmax Originals received a record 26 nominations, with The Real Housewives of Nairobi, Pepeta, and Single Kiasi among the top contenders. Additionally, 21 nominations went to titles from Maisha Magic Plus and Maisha Magic Movies, available to stream on Showmax.  

Out of these 47 nominations, Showmax scored eight awards, including Best TV Show for The Real Housewives of Nairobi, Best TV Drama and Best Viewers’ Choice for the crime drama Pepeta, Best Performance in a TV Comedy for Abel Mutua for stand-up comedy show Roast House, Best Lead Actor (TV Drama) for Charles Ouda in Salem, Best Supporting Actor (TV Drama) for Ndugi Kithuku in Kina, Best Supporting Actress (Film) for Brenda Mwai in The Caller and Best Documentary Feature for John-Allan Namu’s true-crime docuseries The Last Door. 

Big Girl Small World shines at Dakar Séries  

This Nick Mutuma-directed Showmax title wowed critics and attendees at the 2024 Dakar Séries Festival where it scooped the Best Short Series, Actress (June Njenga) and Editing trophies. This followed the success of another Showmax Original, Spinners at the 2023 edition, where it similarly won Best TV Series, Performance (Cantona James) and Editing.  

Hailed by Business Daily as “a humorous look at middle-class struggles in Nairobi”, this romcom series follows Ciku, a plus-size woman who stumbles through a journey of self-discovery after a humiliating scandal. In the process, she finds out what it means to live big in a world determined to shrink her.  

The 13-part series stars newcomers June Njenga and Daine Njuguna as Ciku and her former best friend Aisha respectively. Also look out for Emmanuel Mugo (Igiza), Fidel Maithya (Single Kiasi), Derek Bbanga (Second Family), and Kui Kabala (Njoro wa Uba).