How BlackRhino is building Kenyas VR industry

09/05/2017

--

How BlackRhino is building Kenya s VR industry --

Tue, 09 May 2017 10:15

--

BlackRhino VR is playing a key role in developing Kenyas virtual reality industry, working with a number of local and international companies to develop innovative ways of delivering content.

Launched in 2015, the Nairobi-based BlackRhino VR uses immersive virtual reality technology to develop documentaries, educational material and marketing campaigns.

The start-up s innovative approach has certainly paid off, with head of business development Brian Afande telling Disrupt Africa that BlackRhino has worked with companies and organisations of the calibre of UNICEF, Shell, Safaricom and Kenya Wildlife Services (KWS).

There was an absence of authentic African virtual reality production companies in Africa, more so in Kenya, he said.

After our R&D period we decided to venture into this business because VR was and still is in its infancy stages worldwide. We wanted to start a company that would position itself as one of the leading African VR storytellers.

Whereas previously VR production crews had to fly into Africa from abroad, costing a lot of time and money, BlackRhino has positioned itself as the go-to production company whenever international news agencies need to create content in Africa.

The self-funded company has seen the appetite for VR in Kenya steadily increase.

We believe that this can be the beginning of the widespread VR adoption into the country and into the rest of East, Central and West Africa, Afande said.

The corporate uptake for VR is also steadily increasing here, with emphasis on creating immersive brand messages. We have been contacted by some international companies that are interested in partnering with Africa-based VR production companies that are willing to create content for a target audience that is based in the West.

With this in mind, BlackRhino plans to expand across the continent. Funding will not be necessary given the initial success of the startup.

We have been fortunate enough to create VR content for local and international companies and this has helped us recoup our initial investment in VR equipment, as well as plough back profits to help us with our scaling plan, said Afande.

In addition, we run a traditional video services company that produces high-end documentaries, corporate videos and online commercials for major companies in East Africa.

Source: Disrupt-Africa

Related Articles

ATEME powers the first UHD VR experience for Super Bowl LIATEME announced that its advanced video compression technology was used for the VR near-live coverage in UHD of Sunday s ultimate football showdown...

Read more...

Facebook loses $500m VR headset battleThe VR headset maker that Facebook bought in 2014 for US$2bn used stolen computer code, a jury awarded $500m to ZeniMax Media..

Read more...

Fox launches location-based entertainment, virtual and augmented reality unit Emerging from the Fox Innovation Lab, which launched The Martian Experience, the company s first commercial VR endeavour, FoxNext...

Read more...

New South African VR game a crowd favouriteTyron Janse van Vuuren, the innovator behind the new kid on the SA gaming block Echoplex....

Read more...

VR hardware revenues to exceed $50bn by 2021Virtual reality may at present be making smalls steps, but it is primed to make giant leaps over the next five years according to Juniper Research...

Read more...

VR headset market poised for hockey-stick growth The market for virtual reality headsets is expected to be worth $9.1 billion by 2021...

Read more...

VR players form Global Virtual Reality AssociationAcer Starbreeze, Google, HTC VIVE, Facebook s Oculus, Samsung, and Sony Interactive Entertainment announced the creation of a non-profit organisation...

Read more...

Virtual Reality Africa at Berlinale Africa HubElectric South and the Goethe-Institut present New Dimensions Virtual Reality Africa, a selection of Virtual Reality productions from Kenya, Senegal and Ghana...

Read more...

-- --

-- --

-- Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. comments powered by Disqus

LINK:	http://www.screenafrica.com/page/news/new_med/1662571-How-BlackRhino-i...
	See more stories from screenafrica

Most recent headlines

05/01/2027

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be demoed at CES 2026

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...

01/06/2026

Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026

January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026 Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...

02/05/2026

Dalet Flex LTS Delivers Smarter Search, Faster Editing, and an AI-Ready Foundation for Modern Media

Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...

01/05/2026

NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to Integrate Dolby's Full Suite of Premium Picture and Sound Innovations

January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...

01/04/2026

DOLBY AND DOUYIN EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATON OF CREATORS WITH DOLBY VISION

January 4 2026, 18:00 (PST) DOLBY AND DOUYIN EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATON OF CREATORS WITH DOLBY VISION Douyin Users Can Now Create And Share Videos With Stun...

18/03/2026

SMPTE Unveils 2026 NAB Show Educational Presentations

SMPTE Unveils 2026 NAB Show Educational Presentations Brie Clayton March 18, 2026 0 Comments SMPTE , the home of media professionals, technologists, a...

18/03/2026

Auditel Ad Campaign Shot on Blackmagic PYXIS 12K

Auditel Ad Campaign Shot on Blackmagic PYXIS 12K Brie Clayton March 18, 2026 0 Comments LED wall virtual production blends 12K open gate acquisition w...

18/03/2026