His vision is ambitious. Elba aims to build film studios across Africa, starting in Zanzibar, the Tanzanian semi-autonomous island renowned for its white sand beaches. The idea took root last year when Elba met Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan at the World Economic Forum in Davos. Their discussions led to plans for the first studio in Zanzibar — a move Elba believes could be the first building block of a global entertainment hub.
The lack of regulation and investment, particularly around copyright and financing, has placed limits on growth. He sees potential akin to South Korea’s explosive entertainment industry growth: From 2017 to 2021, Korean pop-culture-related exports grew at an average annual rate of 13.7%, 2.5 times faster than overall export growth. Korea’s Economic Research Institute estimates this contributed $27 billion to the economy.