Netflix Reveals 2023's Most-Watched Movies and Series: A Competitive Showdown Between Nigeria and South Africa

The rivalry between Nigeria and South Africa has extended to the Netflix streaming platform, with both nations dominating the list of most-watched movies and series in Africa for 2023. This data is detailed in a comprehensive Netflix Engagement Report, which captures viewership metrics from January to December 2023

In the list of top 13 films released, the Nigerian movie “The Black Book”, starring RMD and Sam Dede, emerges as the most-watched film in Africa. Out of the 13 ranked films, Nigeria claims six spots while South Africa secures seven. No other African country appears in the top 13.

The Netflix report reveals that consumers watched a staggering 90 billion hours of content in the second half of 2023, with the total for the year reaching 183 billion hours. The ranking is based on views, calculated as total hours watched divided by the runtime.

Top 12 Films and Series

1. Black Book (Nigeria) - 28.3 million views

   • Anakle film, produced in September 2023.

2. Fatal Seduction (South Africa) - 18.3 million views

   • Series produced in July 2023.

3. Unseen (South Africa) - 18 million views

   • Series produced in March 2023.

4. Number Number (South Africa) - 10 million views

5. Blood Vessel (Nigeria) - 8.9 million views

6. Shanty Town (Nigeria) - 8.2 million views

7. A Sunday Affair (Nigeria) - 7 million views

8. Silverton Siege (South Africa) - 6.7 million views

9. Jagun Jagun (Nigeria) - 4.9 million views

10. Queenstown Kings (South Africa) - 4.3 million views

11. Kings of Jo’burg (South Africa) - 4.1 million views

12. Young, Famous and African (Nigeria) - 3.5 million views

The intense competition between Nigeria and South Africa on Netflix highlights the vibrant film industries in both countries. As viewers continue to engage with high-quality African content, the prominence of these two nations on the streaming platform is likely to grow.