French media giant Canal+ has acquired full ownership of MultiChoice Group, the parent company of DStv and GOtv, in a \$3 billion (approximately R55 billion) deal. The acquisition, which covers the remaining 55% stake Canal+ did not previously own, was approved on Wednesday, July 23, 2025, by South Africa’s Competition Tribunal. The transaction is expected to be finalized by October 8, 2025.Canal+, which operates in 25 African countries and serves over 8 million subscribers, will now expand its footprint significantly. MultiChoice’s 14.5 million subscribers across 50 sub-Saharan countries, including platforms like SuperSport, Showmax, and M-Net, position the French broadcaster to become a dominant player in Africa’s media and entertainment industry.
Maxime Saada, CEO of Canal+, described the acquisition as “transformative,” noting that the combined group will benefit from increased scale, access to high-growth markets, and opportunities to deliver synergies.The merger brings together Canal+’s French-language programming with MultiChoice’s English and Portuguese content, enhancing its ability to serve Africa’s multilingual audiences.
The Competition Tribunal’s conditional approval includes commitments to protect South Africa’s media interests, such as: Retaining MultiChoice’s headquarters in South Africa Investing over R26 billion in the local media sector over the next three years Supporting local content creators, general entertainment, and sports broadcasting Continuing funding for South African-produced contentIn a joint statement, the companies pledged ongoing support for local creators and said the deal would strengthen foundations for future success in the South African content industry.
With full ownership, Canal+ is expected to inject capital and technological resources into MultiChoice, boosting investments in content production, digital platforms like Showmax, and advanced broadcasting infrastructure. Canal+ began its takeover bid in 2023 with a mandatory buyout offer of R125 per share, valuing MultiChoice at around \$3 billion. The completed acquisition paves the way for strategic gains in content distribution, platform integration, and subscription bundling across the continent.
Source: https://msmeafricaonline.com/
