About Sapphire
We opened a single screen in Dugbe in 2009 with 140 seats and a generator we named Mama. Today we run three cinemas and eighteen screens across Ibadan.
Timeline
Our story
- One screen in Dugbe140 seats, a rented projector and a queue round the block for the first Nollywood premiere.
- Bodija opensFive screens and a café, a short ride from the university.
- Ring Road flagshipNine screens, the Sapphire Grand and our first Velvet room.
- Solar on every roofWe stopped losing shows to power cuts.
- Iwo Road opensFour screens by the interchange, with a drive-up snack window.
Values
What we believe
Ibadan first
The best times go to films made here, and every Yoruba film gets subtitles.
On time, every time
96 percent of shows start within two minutes of the advertised time.
Families welcome
Mornings, the Kids' Den and relaxed screenings are for everyone.
Fair prices
Tuesday is half price, and there is never a booking fee for paying online.
Scale
In numbers
Example figures for this demo.
People
The team
Giving back
In the community
Every term we open our screens to state schools for free morning shows tied to the literature syllabus. Last year 11,400 pupils from across Oyo watched a set text on the big screen. We also give two Velvet rooms each month to charities for fundraising screenings, and we train young projectionists through a paid six month apprenticeship.
Come and work with us
We hire box office, kitchen, projection and party hosts at all three cinemas.