MultiChoice shuts offices and branches in Nigeria and Zambia after protests following xenophobic violence in South Africa; Tiwa Savage cancels on DStv Delicious Festival; Zambia cancels international football match.

South Africa's MultiChoice Group has shut down the pan-African pay-TV operator's offices and branches in Nigeria and Zambia indefinitely following public protest action, with the Nigeria singer Tiwa Savage who has dumped the DStv Delicious International Food & Music Festival, while Zambia has cancelled an international friendly football match.

MultiChoice has indefinitely shuttered its offices in Lagos, Nigeria as well as in Lusaka, Zambia following public protests at its offices in these countries.

The protest action follows a horrific spate of xenophobic violence and looting in Alexandra in South Africa directed against mostly immigrant-owned shops across Johannesburg that started in Jeppestown on Sunday and by Tuesday had engulfed Alexandra, Tembisa, Germiston, Kempton Park, Coronation Park, Turffontein and Malvern. Five people have so far died.

Joe Heshu, MultiChoice's head of corporate affairs, says MultiChoice decided to shut its brances in Nigeria and Zambia "to safeguard customers and staff until further notices". These MultiChoice offices and brances will remain closed indefinitely "until the situation is under control".

MultiChoice in a statement on Wednesday said that it urges "all our customers, followers and stakeholders to shun violence".

"MultiChoice is committed to uniting Africans through our programming and cultural initiatives."

"We advocate equality and condemn all forms of discrimination. The ongoing violence in South Africa against foreign nationals, is against the spirit of Africa, and counter-productive to the decades of work done by African leaders and well-meaning organisations to unite the continent."

The company said that "We are a proudly African company and although our story began in South Africa, today we represent the African continent in all its diversity through our presence across the region."

"We embrace and celebrate the diversity of varied nationalities, traditions, cultures and religions from across the continent and beyond."

"This is demonstrated through our multinational staff complement, our multicultural supply chain, as well as the local and international content that we showcase on both our DStv and GOtv platforms."

"We believe Africa’s full potential can only be realised through dialogue, peace, and unity. This is a sombre period for every African on the continent and beyond, and we urge all our customers, followers, and stakeholders to shun violence."

Tiwa Savage, Zambian soccer cancel on South Africa Meanwhile the Nigerian singer Tiwa Savage on Wednesday said publicly that she's done with the upcoming DStv Delicious International Food & Music Festival over the shocking xenophobic attacks in South Africa.

The 2019 DStv Delicious International Food & Music Festival is set to take place at the Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit in Midrand on 21 and 22 September.

Tiwa Savage said "I refuse to watch the barbaric butchering of my people in SA. This is sick. For this reason I will not be performing at the upcoming DStv Delicious Festival in Johannesburg".

Meanwhile AFP reports that Zambia has cancelled an international friendly football match which was set to take place in Lusaka next weekend against South Africa. The match was also cancelled over the shocking xenophobic attacks.

"This is because of the security concerns, you never know what can happen," the Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) secretary general Adrian Kashala, told AFP. "We want to be sure of the security of (the) visiting team".

The best media green room in the biz? MultiChoice once again makes the media go 'mmm' with delectable delicatessen before the DStv Delicious Food Festival presser.

Who runs the best media green room in the biz? Most definitely MultiChoice with its "Lufthansa business class lounge" type boudoir.

At most press events or press conferences, there's usually the feeding frenzy of the press, preceded or followed by another type of a feeding frenzy: hungry journalists foraging for food.

I didn't attend the DStv Delicious International Food & Music Festival this past weekend but I was invited to, and decided to attend, Friday morning's press conference about it at MultiChoice City in Randburg.

Before the press conference in one of auditoriums at MultiChoice's new headquarters started, media were ushered, as usual, first to a holding pen the media green room where I took this photo, and where a coffee barista and juice bar served the press, along with white-tabled breakfast d'oeuvres.

I didn't actually eat any of the food - I just had two black coffees and a lemon juice - but the food and the presentation looked absolutely terrific.

I instantly thought that I had to remark on it, because I appreciated the thought to do it, the huge effort that went into it, and the intention, impression and expectation that it created.

It's also not the first time the media green room (the walls are literally green) at DStv for press visiting MultiChoice City looks this great - it's actually every time I've been there as a TV critic, just this year, for various press conferences or background meet-and-greet's like what M-Net Movies did a few months ago with the press.

Compared with the throwaway snacks the SABC dish up to the media at Auckland Park and the unappetising spreads several other TV channels find themselves worthy to take out the tin box from time to time for ravenous reporters, the MultiChoice amuse-bouche towers head and shoulders above anyone else.

A few observations:

Firstly, media are not royalty and shouldn't be treated as such (although a lot of them think they are, with over-inflated superego's who want to be endulged).

Food offered and looking like it's straight out of a Downton Abbey garden tea party, should never become a standard expectation for the media.

I and others can go without food or snacks at a media event or press conference - I have no expectation that there must be food, I don't go to things because of food, but I do love it when there's the availability of food.

However, when there are food and drinks offered, the way it looks (even more than how it taste) is part of what actually helps to set the atmosphere.

It signals to journalists (or at least to me) the perceived level of importance of an event and the seriousness (even for something fun) that the news, announcements or press conference is regarded by the news maker.

MultiChoice constantly gets this right.

Having a proper media green room with not just good food on display but a very professional display, shows to media that they didn't take waste their day to go to some namby-pamby time-waster.

This year I was at the MultiChoice City building for things like a MultiChoice programming media showcase, a FOX DStv Empire presser and a M-Net Movies educational media session for instance.

Every single time there was a media green room area, and every single time without fail the food was top notch and presented without fault.

Secondly, there's the service. On Friday after my first black coffee, I returned to the green room barista to get another.

Keep in mind the place is filled with a lot of journalists and nobody's special.

I went: "Please may I have ... " and the barista jumped in, saying "for you, another black coffee? Can I fill this one up for you and in a large cup?"

I was speechless for a moment and said yes. He actually remembered how I took my first one half an hour earlier. Needless to say, I was very, very impressed because I doubt that I'd be able to be like that to people.

And it's not just me it happened to. A diminutive mediarette walked over and joined my side and just as she started her order of "Can I please get ..." the barista handed her a cuppaccino.

It's what she wanted, but she was instantly both amazed and suspicious.

Of course the media is a haughty, cynical bunch and she asked: "Is this now someone else's old one?"

The barista smiled: "No I made it just now."

"And if I didn't ask for a cuppaccino?"

"Then I would have made for you just whatever else you ask for."

Finding the answer acceptable - and what was actually super service - agreeable; mademoiselle took a sip and glided away back to the tables with white roses and white tulips and snacks on silver trays.

MultiChoice's media green room on Friday for the DStv Delicious Food Festival was great. I didn't actually eat anything but the moment I stepped inside I saw and appreciated the effort.

It's something TV channels and productions doing press conferences shouldn't under-estimate, but also something that the media types who go to pressers shouldn't ever take for granted.