Chinese media firm Startimes Media plans to expand its presence in the African continent.

"By the end of 2017, we plan to be in 20 African countries in order to meet the growing demand for quality television content," Startimes Media Kenya Company Vice President Mark Lisboa said on Monday when the company introduced digital television sets into the Kenyan Market.

Lisboa said the company is currently present in 14 Sub-Saharan African countries, including Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and South Africa.

The new countries the firm plans to set up shop includes Egypt, Angola, Namibia and Swaziland.

Startimes is the leading TV operator in Africa and currently has over ten million subscribers.

Lisboa said that the popularity of Sino dramas in Kenya has been increasing since they were introduced in 2013.

He noted that the East has always been a mystery to the Africa people and Sino dramas have helped demystify the Chinese cultures.

"There's a lot of curiosity by Africans on the Chinese culture and this has translated into the popularity of Chinese television content in Africa," he added.

Startimes broadcasts over 440 authorized channels consisting of news, movies, series, sports and children programs.

Lisboa said that his firm currently has three Chinese content channels that broadcast Sino dramas, KunguFu movies and other series.

He said that they will begin showing a television series on lives of Africans living in China.

"The show will depict the real lives of Africans who are resident in China," he noted.

Lisboa said that films can be an important avenue to cement ties between different cultures.

Email: zhanglingxiao@nbd.com.cn