Mediawan Africa and TV5Monde team up to develop "The Best Is Yet to Come" in French-speaking Africa

Mediawan Africa and TV5Monde have partnered up to develop the original daily fiction series, "The Best Is Yet to Come." “We are very proud to co-develop the very first daily series of this scale for Africa, in collaboration with such prestigious partners as TV5Monde, whose expertise and know-how are essential for a project of this ambition, and the Republic of Benin," President of Mediawan Africa,  François Thiellet said.

Consisting of 220 episodes of 26 minutes, "The best is yet to come" will portrays students who navigate the path to adulthood, caught between tradition and modernity. The title is intended to provide new generations with a window into stories that resonate with them and positively shape the global perception of Africa. "The commitment, determination, and political vision of Benin in investing in the development of the audiovisual industry convinced us to actively participate in the creation of this new audiovisual hub. The production of premium series aimed at a broad audience and talent development make The best is yet to come a perfect embodiment of the development strategy implemented by Mediawan Africa,” Thiellet said.

The industrial project marks the company's effort to transition into a new era in the African audiovisual landscape and will significantly contribute to structuring the sector by creating jobs for hundreds of writers, artists, and technicians, and by nurturing the development of many emerging talents in Africa. The creative teams of Keewu Production, producer of Mediawan Africa, and TV5Monde, will work closely with talents who will have benefited from training and writing workshops organized with the support of the Beninese government, which is keen to accelerate the development of the audiovisual sector.

The initiative will be driven by the Beninese government through Sèmè City, a regional hub of excellence in higher education, innovation, and entrepreneurship, as well as through the Arts and Culture Development Agency (ACDA), which ensures the professionalization and promotion of talent in the industry. "The best is yet to come" offers a unique opportunity to train hundreds of professionals in various fields, from scriptwriting to production, direction, post-production, as well as artistic and technical roles.

The new campus of Sèmè City, an ecocity developed over 350 hectares in Ouidah, will serve as the setting in Africa to host the studio projects, the training center, and the filming locations for this fictional campus that will be nestled in a green environment on the outskirts of a historically rich small town. “'The Best is Yet to Come' will be the crown jewel in TV5Monde, politics of investment in African production, going back fifteen years, which makes our eight tv channels, streaming service TV5Monde, plus and our app TV5MondeAfrica, the worldwide broadcaster of African movies and tv series," Yves Bigot, CEO of TV5Monde, said.

The project will be based in an international campus in Africa, where five young people who have nothing in common are forced to live together in a villa while awaiting for their student accommodation. The situation will have consequences for all the characters in the series including professors, other students, parents and residents of the town where the campus is located. “We take pride in standing on the brink of a new era in the screen industries in Benin, thanks to this groundbreaking partnership with Mediawan Africa and TV5Monde," Mr. Jean-Michel Abimbola, Minister of Tourism, Culture, and Arts of Benin, said. "By supporting this innovative project, Benin asserts itself as the emerging cultural center of Africa, prepared to unveil its exceptional heritage to the world. The best is yet to come is more than just a series; it is a celebration of Beninese and African talents. We look forward to seeing this inspiring collaboration come to life.”