While online streaming platforms such as YouTube have become a lifeline for African filmmakers seeking global audiences, Ghana’s movie industry continues to lag far behind regional powerhouse Nigeria.
Despite the growing popularity and financial promise of digital film distribution, only a handful of Ghanaian producers are making significant inroads on the platform.
By contrast, Nigeria’s Nollywood has firmly established itself as the dominant force on YouTube, generating millions of streams, subscriptions, and substantial revenue. For Ghana, however, the journey toward digital success has been slower and riddled with challenges.
One filmmaker who has refused to sit back is actress and producer Xandy Kamel, who has been steadily investing in YouTube productions. But according to her, the Ghanaian film industry’s inability to thrive on the platform is less about lack of talent and more about internal barriers.
Xandy Kamel, Actor and Movie Producer
“Making movies for YouTube is really difficult in Ghana because even industry persons are not willing to support,” she lamented.
“If you approach someone to even join your cast, the amount they quote is so huge that you end up questioning how much you are even going to make after putting all the production costs into consideration.”
Kamel revealed that her latest project, Unseen Beauty, almost never made it to production because of the high fees quoted by Ghanaian actors she approached.
“When I started working on Unseen Beauty, my own people were not supportive. They asked for the script, and after going through it, they quoted huge amounts as their charges. Some told me, ‘I’m not a YouTuber, but because of you, I’ll do a YouTube job—just give me GH₵10,000 or GH₵12,000.’ This is for just five or seven scenes,” she disclosed.
Frustrated but determined, Kamel turned to Nigerian actors, whom she described as “far more considerate and collaborative.”
This reliance on Nigerian talent, she argues, highlights a broader problem within Ghana’s film space—a resistance to change and a failure to embrace YouTube as the future of African cinema.
“If our own people continue like this, how are we going to gain traction on YouTube when it’s now the main route our counterparts elsewhere are taking to grow their industry?” she questioned.
Kamel believes Ghana must look to Nollywood for lessons on survival and growth. She pointed to Nollywood’s culture of collaboration, resource-sharing, and collective vision as key ingredients for its dominance on YouTube.
“We need to borrow a page from Nollywood’s book. One key lesson is the power of collaboration. When our producers, directors, and stakeholders come together, pool resources, and work towards bigger, higher-quality productions, that’s when we’ll start to see real growth and recognition,” she said.
She added that Ghanaian filmmakers need to stop working in silos and embrace teamwork if they want the industry to remain relevant in the fast-changing digital entertainment space.
“With collective effort and a shared vision, I believe Ghana’s film industry can achieve significant strides and gain the popularity it deserves,” she said.
Despite the challenges, Kamel’s persistence appears to be paying off. Her new movie, Unseen Beauty, which premiered on YouTube recently, has already attracted over 100,000 views, signaling the platform’s untapped potential for Ghanaian content creators.
For Kamel, this is proof that the audience is ready. The question is whether Ghana’s film industry is willing to work together to seize the opportunity.
