eMedia Holdings and South Africa pay-TV giant MultiChoice are again at each other’s throats. The two are due to appeal at a Competition Tribunal in South Africa today [January 18th]. The battle is over TV sports rights with eMedia alleging that MultiChoice is abusing its dominant position and dictating the terms for access to premium […]

South Africa’s SABC public broadcaster is in dire financial straits, but a government initiative to see funding secured is far from certain. A new SABC Bill, which was open to public discussion until January 16th, is not likely to be resolved and converted into cash for some time. South Africa’s ‘Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse’ (Outa) […]

South African independent broadcaster, eMedia, can keep its channels on the DStv platform for the time being. MultiChoice has long wanted the channels removed and had determined that a five year carriage deal in place with eMedia would not be renewed. That decision was halted by South Africa’s Competition Tribunal. However, a formal complaint by […]

Contrary to some recent reports that Starlink would not be available in South Africa, local sources say that SpaceX is making moves that would see its equipment sold legitimately in the country. Just days ago South African communications regulator Icasa, in the nation’s official Government Gazette, published a notice about “illegal provision of satellite internet […]

Icasa, South Africa’s communications regulator, is complaining about grey market Starlink dish sales in South Africa. Starlink is not licensed in the country. Icasa says such sales are illegal and “must stop immediately”. Icasa believes that dishes and modems are being brought into South Africa from neighbouring countries where they are licensed to operate. Starlink […]

SABC, South Africa’s public broadcaster – currently in serious debt – has hired Nomsa Chabeli, the former General Manager of telco MTN as its new CEO. Chabeli was also previously marketing director of MultiChoice’s SuperSport and DStv divisions. SABC stated: “[Chabeli] also has a credible history of developing persuasive and highly influential brand messaging that […]

As previously reported, South African telco Telkom has asked regulator Icasa to delay its planned spectrum auction, citing anxieties over its ability to fund participation in an auction. The move has prompted Telkom’s rival MTN to complain about the possible delay while another competitor, Vodacom, wants Icasa to come up with a process that considers […]

South African telco Telkom has asked communications regulator Icasa to delay its upcoming spectrum auction because it fears it doesn’t have the funds to participate. Icasa sold off a batch of frequencies in 2022 for 4G and 5G services which resulted in Telkom’s rivals (MTN and Vodacom) obtaining significant allocations. Icasa had planned to hold […]

MultiChoice, operator of the DStv pay-TV system, has lost almost 500,000 subscribers in South Africa. The latest interim financial results show that the loss at the end of September placed the operator’s total subscriber numbers (90-day active) at 8.629 million, or 486,000 less than the 9.115 million at the same point last year. MultiChoice says […]

South Africa’s deputy communications minister Philly Mapulane has told the country’s parliament that public broadcaster SABC is not only technically insolvent but owes broadcasting transmission distributor Sentech more than Rand 700 million (about $35.5m) – around half of Sentech’s annual revenue. SABC presented its financial plan to government for 2023-2024 on November 7th. The presentation […]