MPA and Nelson Mandela University announce landmark collaboration to advance research on piracy in Africa

First-of-its-kind MPA collaboration in the region will examine consumer harm and cybersecurity risks linked to piracy in South Africa, Kenya and Nigeria

JOHANNESBURG, Sept. 07, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Motion Picture Association (MPA) and Nelson Mandela University today announced a landmark collaboration to advance independent research and deepen understanding of the impact of digital piracy across Africa.

The collaboration, established through a Memorandum of Understanding between the MPA and the university, will bring together the former’s global expertise in content protection with the research capabilities of the South African Cultural Observatory (SACO), hosted by Nelson Mandela University.

The agreement marks the first collaboration of its kind for the MPA in Africa and establishes a framework through which the organisations can pursue research and consulting projects on piracy, the creative economy, and other areas of shared interest. The first project under the new collaboration will examine the cybersecurity risks consumers face when accessing pirated content in South Africa, Kenya, and Nigeria. The research is intended to provide new, locally relevant evidence about the relationship between digital piracy and cybersecurity threats, including the potential risks faced by consumers who access illegal websites and services.

“At the MPA, we strongly believe that effective policymaking starts with evidence. South Africa is at an important crossroads, with a booming creative sector, extraordinary local storytelling and enormous potential for continued investment and growth. Safeguarding that success means protecting creators, consumers and legitimate businesses from the substantial harm caused by online piracy,” said Karyn Temple, Senior Executive Vice President, and Global General Counsel of the MPA.

“As discussions continue in South Africa around effective enforcement tools, including site blocking, this first-of-its-kind research will provide important, locally grounded evidence about the risks and real-world consequences of piracy. Our goal is not simply to better understand the problem, but to help turn evidence into action – supporting concrete, effective and proportionate enforcement measures that protect audiences, strengthen the legitimate creative economy, and allow South African stories and storytellers to thrive.”

Nelson Mandela University Vice-Chancellor Professor Sibongile Muthwa said the collaboration reflected the University’s commitment to research that engages directly with the challenges shaping society and the digital economy.

“This partnership brings together complementary expertise to deepen our understanding of an increasingly complex challenge at the intersection of technology, culture, consumer safety and the creative economy. It is exactly the kind of impactful research and innovation that this university wants to be known for – research that is relevant to our continent and that can contribute meaningfully to society,” she said.

SACO, which will lead the research initiative within the university, said the pace of change in frontier technology makes this research both urgent and necessary, while also providing new tools to address the challenge.

“Understanding the risks facing our creative economy is the first step to protecting it,” said Unathi Lutshaba, SACO Executive Director. “This partnership gives South African and regional researchers direct access to global expertise on these questions, at a time when they matter more than ever.”

Lutshaba described the agreement as a significant step towards strengthening research capacity and cooperation in the areas where culture, technology, digital safety, and the creative economy increasingly intersect.

The collaboration comes as film, television and streaming continue to make an important contribution to Africa’s rapidly growing creative economies

At the same time, illegal piracy services undermine legitimate businesses, put creative-sector jobs and investment at risk, and can expose consumers to fraud, malware, and other online threats. Developing a stronger evidence base is an important part of addressing those challenges. The MPA works with governments, law enforcement, technology companies and creative-sector partners around the world to advance effective and proportionate approaches to tackling piracy, including proven tools such as site blocking, while protecting legitimate online activity.

About the Motion Picture Association
The Motion Picture Association (MPA) serves as the leading voice and advocate of the motion picture, home video, and television industries. It works in every corner of the globe to advance the creative industry, protect its members’ content across all screens, defend the creative and artistic freedoms of storytellers, and support innovative distribution models that bring an expansion of viewing choices to audiences around the world. Its member studios are Netflix, Paramount Pictures, Prime Video & Amazon MGM Studios, Sony Pictures, Universal Studios, The Walt Disney Studios, and Warner Bros. Discovery. Charles Rivkin is Chairman and CEO.

About the South African Cultural Observatory / Nelson Mandela University
The South African Cultural Observatory (SACO) is the StatsSA of the cultural and sport economy. It acts as a national research centre dedicated to the development of a comprehensive cultural information system for South Africa. Conceived of in 2013, through the Mzansi Golden Economy (2011) strategy, and then Department of Art and Culture, the SACO is a project of the South African Department of Sport, Arts and Culture (DSAC) hosted by the Nelson Mandela University in partnership with the University of KwaZulu-Natal, and Rhodes University.

The SACO was officially established in 2015 to develop a more sophisticated understanding of South Africa’s cultural and creative economy – and also to map trends, develop statistics, gather economic data across the arts, culture and heritage sectors and the cultural and creative industries; and to inform decision and policymakers. Since then, it has been fundamental in shaping new knowledge, tools, and insights into South Africa’s cultural and creative economy. In 2019, DSAC incorporated sports into its ambit of policy making and government support. Under its new five-year contract term with DSAC, from 2023, it also focuses on mapping the economic impact of sports in South Africa.

Media contact – MPA:
Sabine Henssler: sabine_henssler@motionpictures.org

Media contact – SACO/Mandela University:
Zandile Ngwendu: Zandile.Ngwendu@mandela.ac.za