Morocco Emerges as Global Hub for French-Language Dubbing Industry

After conquering French-speaking Africa and overseas territories, Morocco is establishing itself on the French dubbing market with double-digit sales growth reported by the studios surveyed. Novelas TV, a subsidiary of Canal+, has been broadcasting the first season in French of The Scent of Deception for a few days, reports Le Monde in an article it devoted to the emergence of the Francophone dubbing industry in Morocco. The French newspaper emphasizes the growing interest in South Korean series in the Casablanca dubbing studios. The broadcast of the first season of The Promise, a telenovela co-produced by StudioCanal, should be effective in France in September 2024. This is the first television series of the year 2023 in Spain.

Morocco’s success in French dubbing is the result of long-term work. Eric Cuvelier, a 68-year-old retired coach who arrived in Casablanca in the late 1980s, is one of those who contributed to this success. After his career change in the sector 15 years ago, he is at the origin of the emergence of the first dubbing studio in Morocco. "His dubbing experience includes actors such as Gabriel Byrne and Michael Clarke Duncan, and he has recently started dubbing for Canal+ Kids," the French daily further reports. Another major player: Maxime Montoya of Hiventy, general manager in North Africa of the company Hiventy.

His company launched in Casablanca two years ago has gone from one to eight studios. Its number of dubbers now exceeds one hundred, including several dozen confirmed voices. According to Maxime Montoya, Morocco also owes its success to dubbing costs. The kingdom has a major competitive advantage in terms of dubbing costs, with rates up to "three times cheaper than in France". Despite its success, challenges remain for the kingdom: creation of dubbing schools and establishment of regulated rates, as Moroccan dubbers do not benefit from the same advantageous conditions as those working in France. Criticisms are sometimes made about the quality of the dubbing due to the lack of adequate infrastructure and vocal coaching.