Canal+ and MultiChoice to Relaunch Simplified DStv Packages for Rest of Africa in November: 'Nigeria is Changing, and So Are We'

by Thinus Ferreira

Canal+ and MultiChoice LicenceCo. will relaunch its restructured DStv packages in the rest of Africa in November, two months after it implemented its DStv bouquet changes in South Africa on 17 September.

While DStv Premium will stay as Canal+ and MultiChoice's most expensive and top-end bouquet, the pay-TV service will rejig and introduce DStv Starter, DStv Select, DStv Sports, and DStv Movies & Series, for a total of 5 packages.

The South African market already has this since 17 September.

Kemi Omotosho, Canal+'s MultiChoice Nigeria CEO, on Thursday evening told ad buyers and ad execs in Lagos, Nigeria, that "Nigeria is changing, and so are we".

She told attendees at The Royal Box in Victoria Island that Canal+ and MultiChoice will launch the DStv packages across the rest of sub-Saharan Africa, including the West African nation, from November.

Kemi Omotosho said the four new DStv packages is part of a drastic simplification of DStv's offering to try and offer more flexibility, greater choice and more value at specific price points to existing and potential DStv customers.

"Our focus is on reaching more house­holds, delivering compelling con­tent and creating greater value for subscribers and commercial partners," she said.

In East Africa, what used to traditionally be MultiChoice Africa's third-biggest market but saw massive subscriber declines the past few years, MultiChoice Kenya also announced and confirmed that the structural DStv package changes will come into effect from November.

In a message sent to existing DStv subscribers, MultiChoice Kenya said "We're excited to share that we will be refreshing our DStv package offerings in November".

"The new package lineup will be introduced in phases across the continent, giving you an even easier way to navigate your DStv options and choose what works for you."

Teaser in-house DStv adds also started running in countries ranging from Zimbabwe and Botswana to Malawi, Tanzania and other markets.

Earlier this year, after Canal+'s takeover of MultiChoice, David Mignot, Canal+ Africa CEO, said that radical simplification of DStv's packages and decoder offering is on the way.

David Mignot said MultiChoice had too many price points and packages for Africa.

"In MultiChoice markets we have DStv for DTH [direct-to-home], GOtv for DTT, Showmax and DStv streaming in OTT [over-the-top], and there are also a wide mix of premium channel brands and local channel brands."

"We know from our experience at Canal+ in Europe and Africa that this isn't what consumers want. They want simplicity. They want value for money, and that's exactly what we are going to give them".

"Rationalising our brand portfolio is another thing we can do to improve our position in Africa and make better use of our marketing investment," he said.

ALSO READ: DStv Media Sales Execs Wine and Dine Nigeria's Ad Buyers at Glitzy 10th Sales Event to Assuage Fears: 'Our Digital Tech Stack in Nigeria is Ahead of Most European Markets Within Canal+'

DStv Media Sales Execs Wine and Dine Nigeria's Ad Buyers at Glitzy 10th Sales Event to Assuage Fears: 'Our Digital Tech Stack in Nigeria is Ahead of Most European Markets Within Canal+'

by Thinus Ferreira

At its glitzy 10th DStv Media Sales Industry Event at The Royal Box on Lagos' Victoria Island in Nigeria, Canal+'s DStv Media Sales executives from the West African nation and for the continent tried to assuage the fears of advertisers that the Canal+ takeover will lead to disruption.

At the swanky lifestyle space, Canal+'s DStv Media Sales execs met ad buyers, agency leaders and market strategists on Thursday evening to tell them that everything will be okay.

In attendance were Fahmeeda Cassim-Surtee (group CEO of DStv Media Sales and CEO of Canal+ Advertising), Shamiel Sallie (senior vice president for digital advertising at Canal+), Kemi Omotosho (MultiChoice Nigeria CEO), and Doris Ohanugo (senior vice president of DStv Media Sales in Nigeria).

"The coming together of MultiChoice and Canal+ gives us an opportunity to be Africa's biggest stage for your brand," Fahmeeda Cassim-Surtee said.

"It is about giving advertisers access to premium audiences at scale in premium video environments. Whether headquartered in Lagos, Cape Town, Nairobi, or Abidjan, Nigeria remains a fundamental anchor of who we represent."

The advertising arm of the pay-TV operator is investing in AI-enabled scheduling, digital automation, cross-platform ad management and other tracking and measurement tools, with Fahmeeda Cassim-Surtee promising ad buyers on DStv "Access to richer content and shared tech expertise that allows us to build our digital muscles and deliver true value, because advertising and technology now move hand in hand".

Kemi Omotosho, MultiChoice Nigeria CEO, tried to talk up Nigeria's struggling economy with advertisers, although the struggling West African nation's economy remains stuck in a never-ending microeconomic struggle for households who can't get through the month due to a a very high cost-of-living crisis.

"The stats are telling us that this economy is going in the right direction, and there is no better time to invest in your business than right now," Kemi Omotosho claimed.

"We know viewer habits have changed; consumers spend more time on their personal devices than ever before. Our promise is to maintain our local flavour while offering world-class content at scale."

"Nigeria is changing, and so are we," she said.

Shamiel Sallie noted that "Our digital tech stack in Nigeria is ahead of most European markets within Canal+. My single ask to advertisers tonight is simple: lock in your budgets early to secure the biggest moments, premier positions, and maximum return on ad spend".

MultiChoice ups Kemi Omotosho as Southern Africa regional director.

by Thinus Ferreira

MultiChoice has promoted and appointed Kemi Omotosho as its latest MultiChoice regional director for Southern Africa.

The Southern Africa regional director role has been a revolving door of appointments and fast exits over the past half a decade with numerous MultiChoice executives slotted into the role and then existing in rapid succession over the past few years.

Kemi Omotosho started at MultiChoice Nigeria in 2014 as head of retention and was promoted in 2018 to head of customer value management and in 2019 she was promoted again to group head of customer value management overseeing all CVM initiatives across Africa.

She will now be responsible for looking after MultiChoice's Southern Africa business, excluding South Africa.

"MultiChoice  operates an inclusive workplace that provides equal opportunities to staff irrespective of their gender and nationality, as evidenced by the recent appointments within the group," says John Ugbe, MultiChoice West Africa CEO in a statement.

This is the first time that John Ugbe, overseeing West Africa, has any prepared quote attributed about the appointment of the regional director of another of MultiChoice's regions.

MultiChoice's statement contains no prepared quote attributed to Kemi Omotsho.