French media giant Canal+ has completed its takeover of MultiChoice Group, the parent company of DStv and GOtv, in a landmark deal valued at $3 billion (approximately 55 billion rand).
The acquisition was officially approved by South Africa’s Competition Tribunal on Wednesday, 23 July, giving Canal+ the remaining 55% stake it did not previously own.
The transaction, set to be finalised by 8 October 2025, marks a major shift in Africa’s media landscape. The Competition Tribunal’s approval came with several public interest conditions aimed at safeguarding South Africa’s media sovereignty and ensuring ongoing support for local content.
Canal+, which already operates in 25 African countries and boasts more than eight million subscribers on the continent, is now poised to significantly scale its footprint. With MultiChoice’s 14.5 million subscribers across 50 sub-Saharan African countries, the merger creates a powerful multilingual broadcaster spanning English, French and Portuguese markets.
“This deal is transformative,” said Canal+ CEO Maxime Saada. “The combined group will benefit from enhanced scale, greater exposure to high-growth markets, and the ability to deliver meaningful synergies.”
MultiChoice, Africa’s largest pay-TV operator, brings with it a robust portfolio of content platforms including DStv, GOtv and SuperSport, along with a deep pipeline of local programming.
The acquisition is expected to inject new capital into the South African company, enabling greater investment in local content production, digital innovation and technology upgrades.
As part of the approval conditions, Canal+ has committed to investing approximately 26 billion rand over the next three years in initiatives aligned with South Africa’s public interest goals.
These include retaining MultiChoice’s headquarters in South Africa, maintaining investment in South African-produced content and live sports, and supporting local content creators.
In a joint statement, both companies reaffirmed their commitment to the South African media industry: “We will maintain funding for South African general entertainment and sports content, providing local content creators with a strong foundation for future success.”
Canal+ began its takeover bid in 2023 with a mandatory offer of 125 rand per share. With full ownership now secured, the French media conglomerate is set to redefine the African pay-TV industry, targeting a future audience of 50 to 100 million subscribers across the continent.
