The Africa Channel will soft launch a weekday morning show from Africa on July 18, the birthday of legendary South African leader Nelson Mandela, network officials said Monday.
The show, Expresso, will be the first series to air live on both the African continent and on tape delay in the U.S. on the same day, according to the network. The show will feature a tribute to the life of Mandela, the South African civil rights leader who passed away this past December.
Expresso, which will be broadcast from Cape Town, South Africa and will offer lifestyle programming featuring young, multicultural hosts, will officially join the Africa Channel lineup this fall, airing from 6 to 8:30 a.m. Throughout the summer, The Africa Channel will present Expresso Previews, which will highlight various segments from the series.
"As one can imagine, this project involved significant technical hurdles, but we have a great team both here and in Africa that was able to work through the logistics,” said Lee Gaither, general manager and executive vice president of The Africa Channel. “It will prove to be well worth the effort as Expresso will be a signature show for our network."
