Netflix Lays Off African Content Boss Ben Amadasun

Netflix has laid off Ben Amadasun, its vice-president and content lead for Africa, as part of a global restructuring affecting about 1,000 employees. The Nigerian executive joined the streaming giant in 2019 and spent seven years overseeing content across Africa and the Middle East.

According to MyBroadband, Amadasun’s departure will not immediately alter Netflix’s African content strategy. Kaye Ann Williams, the company’s director of scripted content for sub-Saharan Africa, will take over responsibility for the continent’s content operations.

The job cuts follow Netflix’s October 14, 2026, announcement that it would reduce its global workforce by approximately 6%, affecting around 1,000 employees. The company said the restructuring was intended to improve how it allocates resources despite strong business performance.

The changes coincide with a leadership transition. Netflix announced on October 15 that Peter Rice would replace Bela Bajaria as chief content officer from October 26, following nearly a decade of Bajaria leading the company’s global content organisation.

Amadasun’s exit raises questions about Netflix’s long-term commitment to African storytelling, particularly for producers who depend on the platform for financing, production partnerships and international distribution.

At Netflix’s 10th-anniversary celebration in South Africa in September, Amadasun said the company had partnered with more than 30 South African production companies and produced or licensed over 300 original titles across Africa. The figure includes licensed content and should not be interpreted as 300 Netflix-funded African originals.

Netflix has also indicated that South Africa remains central to its regional strategy. In October, Williams said the company planned to increase annual South African commissions to 15–20 scripted and non-fiction titles, up from eight to 12 previously. Netflix said its commissions and licensing activities had supported more than 8,000 jobs over the past decade.

Although the planned increase suggests continued activity, Netflix has not disclosed a specific reduction in its African content budget.

For filmmakers and production companies across the continent, the key question is whether commissioning levels, partnerships and access to decision-makers will remain stable under the new leadership. For now, Williams assumes the African content brief, while Netflix’s stated South African production plans remain unchanged.