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Kenyan actress Diana Luvanda recently made her Nollywood debut, marking a career milestone that came with eye-opening lessons and a cultural jolt.
In an interview with this writer, Luvanda laid bare the stark differences between Nigeria’s booming film industry and Kenya’s more measured TV-focused scene.
While both industries are home to passionate storytellers, the work ethic, production intensity, and audience reach couldn’t be more different.
According to Luvanda, the difference in work ethic between Kenya and Nigeria is like night and day.
The work ethic, 100%. In Kenya, you can wrap at 5 or 6 and plan your day around it. In Nigeria, it’s nonstop. They shoot for three days straight—from morning to midnight—then jump straight into the next set. It doesn’t stop.
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She recalled being shocked by the schedule, describing how Nigerian filmmakers often work through weekends, holidays, and nights without complaint.
I asked one of the guys, Mike, why they work so much, and he told me, ‘This is where our food comes from. It’s our everything. We give it our all like we’ll never get another chance.’ That mindset stuck with me.
Discipline and speed: The Nollywood formula
One of Diana’s biggest takeaways was the sense of urgency and preparation on Nigerian sets.
"In Nigeria, everyone is super prepared. If the call time is 7, everyone is there by 6:50. Lines are memorised, movements are locked in," she said.
"By the time you step on set, you’re rolling. And they’re fast—they shoot full scenes in three hours. The whole film in three days."
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This sharply contrasts with Kenya, where productions often move slower and actors may have the luxury of downtime between roles.
Reception and culture shock
Despite being the only foreigner on set, Diana felt warmly welcomed.
"The producer and manager picked me up and took me to a hotel two days before the shoot… it felt like a warm invitation," she shared.
However, the cultural differences extended beyond hospitality.
"At times, I even struggled to understand the director, but the team was very helpful and welcoming," she noted, adding that she had to adjust to new accents, industry jargon, and even romantic film roles—territory she hadn’t deeply explored before.
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Kenya’s YouTube boom vs Nollywood’s global reach
Diana also had to field questions from Nigerian colleagues about Kenya’s film industry. She explained the key difference lies in platforms and exposure.
"In Kenya, we focus more on TV because our films don’t get that much broadcast space. Most of our audience is on YouTube," she said. "In Nigeria, their films have a huge following even beyond the continent."
Nollywood’s export power and distribution across Africa and the diaspora give it a leg up, allowing for continuous production and greater financial returns.
Building a Pan-African fan base
As she builds her footprint across Kenya and Nigeria, Diana is optimistic about what the future holds.
"There’s more coming. I’m definitely open to doing more Nollywood projects," she said. "I’m building a fan base both in Kenya and Nigeria. It’s a blessing. I’m grateful and hopeful it all works out."
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She also expressed gratitude to Kenyan fans for their overwhelming support.
"I went to the comment section and was like, ‘What the heck?’ Kenyans took over the comments—it was beautiful," she said.