There was a time not so long ago when Ster-Kinekor was the de facto cinema experience for South Africans, with Nu Metro only penetrating a select few locations. In recent months, Nu Metro has turned its fortunes around, beating out Ster-Kinekor with plenty of expansions around SA, and more to follow.
Absolute Cinema
At a Media Day held at Hyde Park Corner earlier this week, Nu Metro outlined its plans for the future, brimming with confidence in its belief that the cinema-going crowd hasn’t been lost to streaming, but that the industry is thriving. Nu Metro reckons it holds 38% of the cinema market share currently, thanks to its 20 cinemas (and 172 screens) dotted around. The company hopes to see this rise to 52% before long.
According to data shared by Cinevation, “cinema attendance is rising, with over 2.1 million regular moviegoers monthly. More than 4.6 million South Africans visit cinemas up to six times a year, debunking the myth that the movie-going habit is fading post-pandemic,” Nu Metro said.
For Nu Metro, it’s not just about increasing the number of locations (although that certainly helps). The discussions held earlier this week highlighted the cinema chain’s thoughts on ticket pricing, content diversity, and a larger focus on South African-made film. It mentioned partnerships with companies such as Absa, Nedbank, and Momentum, hinting at new loyalty programs to help get more customers through the door.
“Cinema tickets for a family of four are now more affordable than they were in 2019,” said Menen Muthial, business analyst at Nu Metro.
Considering a single ‘VIP’ ticket would cost between R100 and R140 per person back in 2019, according to BusinessTech, and that a regular 2D ticket will set you back R160 in 2025, that doesn’t appear to be the case. Muthial is technically correct when taking inflation into account, however, although the difference is negligible. This also does not take the price of snacks at the concessions stand into account.
In terms of recognising South Africa’s filmmakers, Nu Metro has plans to introduce “bigger premieres” and “tailored events” to better cater to local cinema. Easily the biggest attraction is the coming of ScreenX, a 270-degree viewing experience that’ll supposedly see the screen wrap around viewers, and force them to rely on their peripheral vision to be fully immersed in the movie. That’s arriving in September at Gateway Mall.
