People's Planet Shutters After 16 Years as 'We Ran out of Shelf Space', Content Catalogue Remains Available for International Sales

by Thinus Ferreira

The People's Planet channel, which launched as People's Weather in 2010, has gone dark after 16 years.

People's Planet disappeared from eMedia's Openview at the end of August, after MultiChoice dropped it in March 2024. The channel's content catalogue however remains available for international distribution.

People's Planet ceased broadcasting altogether at the end of August 2026.

Stephan le Roux, People's Planet channel head, says the channel didn't shutter due to a lack of audience but because "dedicated wildlife and environmental content has no reliable home on South African and African platforms".

"Over 16 years on air, People's Planet built something rare in South African broadcasting: a loyal, committed audience for wildlife, conservation and environmental storytelling. That audience did not go away," he says.

"What was missing was platform commitment. Environmental and natural-history content in this market is treated as filler rather than as a category worth investing in, and a channel built entirely around it has nowhere to absorb that pressure."

"There is a real and committed audience in this country for stories about the natural world, and we saw it every week for 16 years."

"What there isn't, is a platform environment willing to back that content for the long term. We didn't run out of viewers or ideas. We ran out of shelf space."

According to Stephan le Roux, from 2020, roughly 95% of People's Planet's content was locally produced, something that "came at a real cost in a market where imported content is cheaper and easier to schedule".

The content catalogue of People's Weather remains available for international distribution.

City Beasts and Family in the Wild are out for international distribution with ORF-Enterprise in Austria.

Snake Season, presented by Durban snake rescuer Nick Evans, has three seasons running on Sky Germany, with season 3 having aired on EarthX and the first two seasons on Curiosity Stream. 

Monkey Helpline and Snake Season are licensed to Big Media for Eastern Europe, with the snake series dubbed into German and Russian.

"There are South African stories, told by South African filmmakers, playing to audiences across Europe and the United States," said Julie Laurenz of Film Mamba, the production house behind Apex Alley, Snake Season and Monkey Helpline. "The international market values this work. That's what makes the position at home so difficult to accept."

Stephan le Roux says "People's Planet extends its thanks to its viewers, to the production partners and independent filmmakers who built its catalogue, and to the journalists, producers and crew whose work defined it".

"While this chapter of People's Planet has come to an end, the need for a dedicated home for wildlife, conservation and environmental storytelling in South Africa has not. The audience is there. The stories are there. The talent is there. What is still needed is a platform willing to give this content the space, investment and long-term commitment it deserves."

"The need for this storytelling isn't going away. This may be the end of People's Planet in its current form, but we haven't given up on what we set out to build."

"South African wildlife and environmental stories deserve a platform and an audience at home, and we still believe there is a future for that."

14th kykNET Silwerskermfees Back in Camps Bay as Questions Abound Over its Future after Canal+ Takeover and Cost-cutting

by Thinus Ferreira

The 14th kykNET Silwerskermfees returned to Camps Bay and The Bay Hotel from 19 to 22 August as questions abound over the future of this crucially important South African film festival.

The 14th film festival, as with everything done by the pay-TV operator, is now in the crosshairs of cost-cutting after Canal+'s takeover of MultiChoice, with the new French bosses looking to cut costs by €400 million (R7.5 billion) by 2030.

The 14th kykNET Silwerskermfees film festival screened four features, 17 short films, and the first episodes of several upcoming new TV series and documentaries.

The programme this year, for the first time, also included short films from the Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival - another indication of how Canal+'s takeover of MultiChoice is infusing and changing all aspects of what used to be MultiChoice, including the Silwerskermfees.

Disturbing to a lot of South African filmmakers - both veteran and established as well as emerging content makers - is that there were only three feature-length films in competition at the film festival. It was the smallest offering of new Afrikaans films in years.

That's due to content that was not ready, not ready in time, and simply not produced, for this year's festival. 

TVwithThinus is aware of, and first spoke months ago, to filmmakers, producers and content makers who said their already approved projects for this year's Silwerskermfees got stalled when they were told the money is not forthcoming and that they would therefore not be in any position to meet production and principal photography deadlines.  

In his speech on the festival's opening night, Waldimar Pelser, M-Net director for premium channels, noted that "At a time when more and more people are watching TV and film on small screens, often with video on top of video and attention that is divided, this week we will sit in a dark room and focus on just one thing: the projection on the big screen of Afrikaans stories that we at DStv and MultiChoice believe deserve to be made". 

ALSO READ: IN IMAGES. 36 Photos of Day 1 of the 14th kykNET Silwerskermfees Film Festival

ALSO READ: IN IMAGES. 29 Photos of Day 2 of the 14th kykNET Silwerskermfees Film Festival

ALSO READ: IN IMAGES. 16 Photos of Day 3 of the 14th kykNET Silwerskermfees Film Festival

Canal+'s MultiChoice and Fame Week Africa Seek Premium Drama Series Pitches from African Producers

by Thinus Ferreira

Canal+'s MultiChoice and Fame Week Africa have launched a new drama commission opportunity for African producers.

Launching as part of Fame Week Africa, MultiChoice is taking pitches from across Africa for a premium drama series concept that has "the potential to captivate local audiences while resonating with viewers around the world".

The premium drama series commission is a dedicated commissioning opportunity developed specifically around MultiChoice's content needs.

MultiChoice wants a "contemporary, high-concept drama series that are commercially appealing, action-driven and rooted in authentic African stories".

According to the pay-TV operator, "Projects should explore universal themes, feature aspirational storytelling, and naturally connect audiences across two or more African territories. Concepts may be created in any African language, English or French, without compromising cultural authenticity."

The commissioned series will have to be between 8 to 12 episodes of 50 minutes each, although final episode counts will be determined by the creative concept. 

"Projects should demonstrate strong production ambition while remaining commercially viable, without relying on large-scale financing or complex international co-production structures."

Nicola van Niekerk, Canal+ Africa senior vice president for content, says "This is an exciting opportunity to discover bold new African drama that speaks authentically to local audiences while travelling beyond borders".

"We are looking for commercially compelling stories with ambition, strong characters and universal themes - stories that showcase the incredible creativity emerging from across the continent."

Martin Hiller, Fame Week Africa portfolio director, says "One of Fame Week Africa's greatest strengths is connecting African creators directly with decision-makers who are actively looking for content."

"This commissioning opportunity with MultiChoice provides producers with a rare opportunity to pitch directly against a clearly defined editorial brief. Even if you've already submitted your project to the MIP Africa Project Pitch Platform, we strongly encourage producers whose projects align with the brief to submit again for this dedicated opportunity."

Producers have to submit a creative treatment (PDF) and an estimated production budget, with the creative treatment that must include a series overview, logline, synopsis, "world of the story", style and tone references, as well as character overviews.

All of the submissions will be reviewed by the Fame Week Africa team before a shortlist of producers will then be invited to present their projects directly to MultiChoice, Canal+ and StudioCanal commissioning panel.

According to Fame Week Africa, this dedicated commissioning call is in addition to the Fame Week Africa Project Pitch Platform and says that producers who have already submitted to the Project Pitch Platform are encouraged to submit the same project again, if it aligns with the MultiChoice commissioning brief.

Submissions close on 18 September 2026 and can be done online here.

Fame Week Africa takes place from 28 to 30 October 2026 at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC2).

Canal+'s MultiChoice dumps Mzansi Bioskop, Mzansi Music, M-Net Movies 1, kykNET Lekker channels from DStv on 16 September, SuperSport channels renamed yet again

by Thinus Ferreira

Canal+'s MultiChoice is dumping M-Net's Mzansi Bioskop, Mzansi Magic, M-Net Movies 1 and kykNET Lekker channels from 16 September from DStv in the latest culling to hit the South African pay-TV operator after Canal+'s takeover that led to drastic cost-cutting and restructuring.

Meanwhile, DStv's SuperSport TV channels are being renamed yet again, in the latest, ever-ongoing name-shuffle.

TVwithThinus made a media query about the abrupt removal of the channels and the axing of the 4 TV channels on DStv was confirmed by MultiChoice.

M-Net added the Mzansi Bioskop (DStv 164) to DStv in September 2013, with the channel getting dumped after 13 years. 

It served as a very good funnel and platform for content from emerging South African filmmakers, whose first short films and feature-length films - primarily from alumni from the MultiChoice Talent Factory (MTF) - were premiered on Mzansi Bioskop.

Quite bizarre is MultiChoice and M-Net's axing of M-Net Movies 1, leaving it with M-Net Movies 2. There's as yet no answer or explanation as to why DStv will sit with a "M-Net Movies 2" TV channel, but then no "1" on the DStv channel line-up.

It's also unclear whether MultiChoice is going to decrease the add-on price for the M-Net Movies package, since Dstv subscribers who have to pay more to add it, will now lose a channel, and customers who want to sign up for this package will now just buy one channel instead of two.

M-Net Movies 1 (DStv 104) originally launched as M-Net Magic in 1995, and was eventually rebranded as M-Net Movies 1 in 2005. Even this channel went through several name changes and genre changes, after which M-Net reverted it back to being called M-Net Movies 1.

Mzansi Music (DStv 321) is also being cancelled, 14 years after M-Net started the channel in 2012.

M-Net's kykNET Lekker (DStv 148) is also getting dumped on 16 September, just 6 years after it was launched in March 2026 after it was created specifically for DStv Access subscribers who will now see M-Net and kykNET rip this content away from these paying customers.

TV withThinus asked for the specific reasons for each of these channels' termination and when the decision was made to end these channels on 16 September.

"As viewing habits continue to change, MultiChoice is refining the DStv channel line-up to match," MultiChoice said.

"Rather than spreading similar content across many channels, we're concentrating on fewer, stronger channels, giving subscribers a cleaner, easier-to-navigate line-up and a better viewing experience overall."

Also once again changing, are the names of several SuperSport TV channels on DStv.

According to MultiChoice, "The SuperSport updates introduce clearer, sport-specific channels, making it even easier for fans to find their favourite sporting action".

SuperSport Variety 1 (DStv 206) is being renamed from 18 August as SuperSport Football Plus, which will now become a "dedicated home for premium football, featuring selected UEFA Champions League action and other major competitions".

SuperSport Variety 2 (DStv 207) is being renamed as SuperSport KickOff for so-called "overflow football events", while SuperSport Variety 3 (DStv 208) is being renamed SuperSport Africa "showcasing the best of South African and African sport".

MultiChoice is changing SuperSport Variety 4 (DStv 209) to SuperSport Action, while SuperSport Action (DStv 210) is getting rebranded as SuperSport Extra for "premium live sport whenever multiple major events take place simultaneously".

There's been no press release from SuperSport yet about any of these name and branding changes.

South Africa's Competition Commission refers MultiChoice to Tribunal for Prosecution Over Altech Decoder Deal to 'Divide Markets'

by Thinus Ferreira

South Africa's Competition Commission is referring both MultiChoice and Altech to the country's Competition Tribunal for prosecution after MultiChoice and Altech's decoder manufacturing deal and an allegation that they colluded to divide markets.

If found guilty, Canal+'s MultiChoice and Altech could be forced to pay an administrative penalty of up to 10% of their respective turnover.

According to the Competition Commission, MultiChoice and Altech contravened section 4(1)(b)(ii) of the Act with alleged market collusion.

According to the Competition Commission, MultiChoice South Africa and Altech UEC South Africa entered into a deal to "divide markets".

Altech is a manufacturer of set-top boxes (STBs) like DStv decoders, which are used to operate subscription-based or pay-TV services.

Canal+'s MultiChoice, which runs a pay-TV service, sources and uses STBs or DStv decoders made for MultiChoice by Altech.

Interestingly, at the time, the Durban-based Altech, that was then owned by Altron, started its own push into a video-on-demand service, the Altech Node that it launched in September 2014.

The Altech Node was a shocking and expensive failure, but it also seems that Altron was persuaded by MultiChoice, and agreed, to discontinue its own Altech Node, in order to keep the contract to make DStv decoders for MultiChoice.

Altron shuttered the Altech Node just a year later in September 2015.

In the complaint lodged with the Tribunal on 15 April 2026, the Commission alleges that MultiChoice and Altech entered into an agreement to divide markets by allocating suppliers and specific types of goods or services, in contravention of section 4(1)(b)(ii) of the Competition Act 89 of 1998.

"The Commission’s investigation revealed that in February 2014, MultiChoice and Altech reached an agreement for Altech not to enter or compete in the pay-TV market where MultiChoice operates."

The Commission says "This arrangement constitutes division of markets by allocating suppliers and /or specific type of goods or services."

MultiChoice in a statement says "The alleged conduct relates to a historical supply agreement concluded with a key supplier of set-top boxes, which came to an end in 2015."

"MultiChoice firmly denies any breach of competition law regarding this former agreement. We are considering the referral and will respond fully within the prescribed timelines."

Altron in a statement says "As a business committed to operating legally and ethically, Altron has fully cooperated with the Competition Commission throughout this process and welcomes the opportunity to participate in the tribunal proceedings in accordance with its established practice".

Canal+ to list on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange on 3 June as MultiChoice revenue continues to decline

by Thinus Ferreira

Canal+ will list on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) on 3 June as the first French company to do so, "marking an important milestone" according to Canal+ CEO, Maxime Saada, while the French company noted that over the last three months, MultiChoice revenue continued to decline as expected.

After its takeover of the struggling MultiChoice, the local South African listing "will provide South African investors with the opportunity to invest in a global media and entertainment company that will enhance the long-term liquidity and tradability of Canal+ shares and fulfil the commitment made to South African Competition Authorities".

Canal+ unveils its Q1results today along with a trading update. Canal+ already listed on the London Stock Exchange in late 2024.

According to Maxime Saada, "MultiChoice revenue continued to decline in line with our expectations".

Canal+ has started its "MultiChoice turnaround plan in South Africa and across the rest of the African continent "which includes recruiting new sales teams and "strengthening the commercial engine".

Canal+ says "We continue to deliver cost synergies resulting from the acquisition of MultiChoice".

According to Canal+, "MultiChoice Group revenue decreased, driven by lower non-subscription revenue, mainly: higher subsidies on equipment to new subscribers, content sales, commissions on insurance business, and some one-off items recorded in Q1 2025".

"Advertising revenue benefited from the SA20 cricket and AFCON tournaments. Subscription revenue was almost flat on a constant currency basis."

StudioCanal to film biopic The Road Home about Paul Simon, Hugh Masekela and Miriam Makeba in Cape Town with Cynthia Erivo, Thabo Rametsi and Guy Pearce

by Thinus Ferreira

Canal+'s StudioCanal will start filming on The Road Home in June in Cape Town with Cynthia Erivo as Miriam Makeba, Thabo Rametsi as Hugh Masekela and Guy Pearce as Archbishop Trevor Huddleston.

Bill Condon is the director, with the screenplay by Michael Bronner and Zakes Mda and The Road Home's budget is roughly R300 million.

"This is a powerful story about art intersecting with activism, a friction that’s only become more complex with time. I'm honoured to be a part of this extraordinary team," says Bill Condon.

Michael Bronner was approached to write the screenplay by the Hugh Masekela Heritage Foundation and he did research for the script as well as in-depth interviews with Paul Simon. 

StudioCanal will distribute The Road Home in South Africa, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Benelux, Poland, Australia and New Zealand. 

"We are honoured to bring this South African story to the screen: a story of friendship and resistance, carried by the extraordinary journeys of Hugh Masekela and Trevor Huddleston, Miriam Makeba and Paul Simon,' says Anna Marsh, CEO of StudioCanal and chief content officer of Canal+.

"Our constant goal is to bring local stories to a global audience – rooted in South Africa’s identity, this story speaks far beyond its borders, showing how music can become a force for identity and change. That is also why it was essential to tell this story from within South Africa, working closely with the voices and talent that shaped it.”

Nomsa Philiso, the director of content for general entertainment, English and Portuguese-speaking at Canal+ Africa, says "MultiChoice Group has long had a strong and successful local content platform rooted in African storytelling".

"Our combination with Canal+ builds on this foundation, strengthening our scale and reach and enabling the production of ambitious films such as The Road Home."

"Through StudioCanal, we are further enhancing our ability to invest in premium content and take high‑quality African stories to global audiences, showcasing the best of the continent on the world stage."

The Road Home is set against the backdrop of Paul Simon’s 1986 album Graceland and principal photography starts in Cape Town in June.

Following exile from his native South Africa, trumpeter Hugh Masekela (Thabo Rametsi) is pulled between two worlds when the anti-Apartheid movement, led by his mentor Archbishop Trevor Huddleston (Guy Pearce), launches a boycott against Paul Simon, over his groundbreaking township music-inspired album Graceland, accusing Simon of violating the United Nation’s Cultural Boycott.  

Splitting from his mentor, Hugh Masekela – who sees their music as a powerful weapon in the struggle – joins forces with Simon and Hugh’s lifelong collaborator, Miriam ‘Mama Africa’ Makeba (Cynthia Erivo), to create the Graceland band - a super group designed to bring South Africa’s voice to the world.

The veteran music producer Hilton Rosenthal, who was instrumental in supporting Paul Simon during the making of the Graceland album, will serve as co-producer on the project with Sony Music also involved.

Hilton Rosenthal was also involved in script development and secured music rights to Paul Simon, Hugh Masekela and Miriam Makeba's work.

The Road Home will include new recordings from Hugh Masekela and Miriam Makeba’s catalogues of songs for the film’s soundtrack.

The Road Home will be produced by Laura Bickford for Laura Bickford Productions, Bronner for Smashing Dandelions, Greg Yolen for 1000 Eyes, as well as Anant Singh of VideoVision Entertainment.

"Hugh Masekela, Trevor Huddleston and Miriam Makeba were remarkable people," says Anant Singh.

"Hugh’s journey with Archbishop Huddleston was legendary, and it is thrilling to bring The Road Home to the big screen together with StudioCanal. We also wish to congratulate Canal+ on The Road Home being their first major production since the MultiChoice merger in South Africa."

Another part of M-Net just died - another chunk gone forever as perhaps a sign of what's to come

by Thinus Ferreira

Goodbye M-Net. Well, at least @mnet.co.za, with the m-net.co.za email domain dumped in the IT-trashbin and now changed to @canal-plus.com following Canal+'s takeover of MultiChoice and M-Net.

In what is M-Net's 40 anniversary year - M-Net is set to turn 40 years old in October - the Canal+ IT bosses have decided to chip away another part of M-Net, with all of MultiChoice and M-Net email addresses that have been switched and changed to @canal-plus.com.

Adding injury to insult - either deliberately, or because it's impossible, or as an oversight - Canal+ couldn't, wouldn't or hasn't been able to apparently add email forwarding or email redirects from the "old" M-Net email addresses to the new canal-plus.com email addresses.

Add to that the unnecessary additional corporate complexity and bigger potential for mistakes: A hyphen to separate "canal" from "plus" because of ... well, just because.

The disappointing and badly done Die Kantoor from the shuttered Showmax was also on kykNET, but this email hashtrash corporate exercise of lets-meddle-where-none-is-necessary-and-mess-it-up feels like an example of real-life MultiChoice-Canal+ The Office.

Forthwith, sending an email to somebody with a @mnet.co.za email address just goes into a void. 

The receiver won't know they've been sent an email, and neither does the sender know their email went undelivered and wasn't received. This goes for anybody working at the actual M-Net channel, kykNET or Mzansi Magic channels, Africa Magic or any of these TV brands that all had basic mnet.co.za email addresses.

M-Net's email addresses - when the Randburg-based pay-TV operator rolled out staff-enabled email and addresses in the late 1990s - had the @mnet.co.za email domain right from the start. It's legacy.

People getting an email from M-Net, or sending an email to M-Net, knew who, and what the brand was they were communicating with.

Now M-Net, at least on email - as well as MultiChoice - has been folded into the larger Canal+ corporate email domain architecture. 

Goodbye to another piece of legacy M-Net, chipped away and gone forever.

31 workers in customer call service of Canal+'s MultiChoice fired without notice - report

by Thinus Ferreira

Around 31 workers who worked inside MultiChoice with MultiChoice identification and on behalf of the pay-TV operator in outgoing call service have been fired without notice at Canal+'s MultiChoice operations in Nigeria.

According to Sahara Reporters, the 31 MultiChoice workers were fired from the so-called customer value management (CVM) unit, in Abuja, Nigeria, where they, through outsourcing firm ZetaWeb Nigeria, called DStv and GOtv subscribers, called potential new subscribers, encouraged DStv subscription renewals and helped with DStv service-related concerns.

A condition of Canal+'s takeover of MultiChoice was that no workers would be retrenched for a period of three years, but already several people across Africa, including South Africa, have lost jobs who did service-related work for MultiChoice at companies outside MultiChoice.

Production companies who did projects and other companies that provided services for MultiChoice and M-Net have had this terminated. 

There are also people and companies still waiting to get paid by M-Net and MultiChoice, several months after they were abruptly ordered to cut purchase orders by 20% and given no answers by M-Net as to when they are going to get their money for work already done.

In South Africa, the Competition Commission has contacted multiple of these companies and people as part of an investigation to get to the bottom of what M-Net and MultiChoice under Canal+ has allegedly done to them, and what M-Net and MultiChoice have allegedly still not done - like paying invoices.

According to the report, the 31 workers were called to a meeting in Abuja and fired, with several who have done the work for between 4 and 10 years for MultiChoice. According to sources, they were not given a notice period and just told their "services were no longer needed".

Interestingly, Maxime Saada, Canal+ CEO, told investors a month ago during Canal+'s financial results presentation that the French company was going to hire at least 1 000 people more on a contract basis to sell and upsell DStv to try and lift DStv subscriber numbers across the African continent.

According to the report, the fired staff asked MultiChoice to please reconsider and to reinstate them, with a source noting that "We are appealing to the management to look into our case. If it is about performance targets, we are willing to improve. We just want an opportunity to continue working".

The workers have now hired a lawyer.

"We were asked to vacate the premises within 10 minutes, as if we were criminals," said one of the workers. "It was humiliating and unfair."

"We have taken steps to pursue justice. Our lawyer is reviewing all the details and will proceed with the necessary court actions. We are determined to ensure that our voices are heard and that due process is followed."

"Some employees are primary breadwinners, single parents and widows whose livelihoods depend entirely on this job."

Emmanuel Mitoto, Zeta-Web Nigeria human resources executive, said that the fired workers have been properly informed that they're losing their jobs.

Canal+ drops MultiChoice's DStv Delicious Festival - report

by Thinus Ferreira

The Sunday World newspaper, citing sources, reports that Canal+ has decided to dump the DStv Delicious International Food & Music Festival as part of Canal+'s drastic and aggressive ongoing cost-cutting at MultiChoice.

The DStv Delicious Festival, that's been often-criticised in past editions, started in 2013 and held its 12th one in September at the Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit.

DStv Delicious as a subscriber retention, potential upsell and marketing event, focused on the DStv mass-market and combined music acts, including international artists, with a food marketplace as a culinary showcase, combined with a fashion display component that involved local South African fashion designers.

Canal+ is now removing DStv as naming-rights sponsor with multiple sources who said that MultiChoice is done with its sponsorship of DStv Delicious.

Canal+ said that "Since tak­ing own­er­ship of Mul­tiChoice last year, Canal+ has put in place a stra­tegic plan to ensure a sus­tain­able future for the com­pany, put­ting it back on a path­way towards growth. This is essen­tial to ensure that con­sumers are able to con­tinue to enjoy com­pel­ling local and inter­na­tional con­tent on lead­ing plat­forms and that we can con­tinue to sup­port South Africa’s cre­at­ive indus­tries."

"We are proud to work with a broad eco­sys­tem of part­ners, includ­ing SMES and local pro­duc­tion houses, which are crit­ical to our busi­ness and to the growth of the cre­at­ive sec­tor across Africa."

"We remain com­mit­ted to the under­tak­ings we made dur­ing the acquis­i­tion pro­cess and are focused on build­ing a strong, sus­tain­able busi­ness to the bene­fit of South African con­sumers and cre­at­ives alike.

TVwithThinus reached out to Canal+ Africa on Sunday morning, asking in a media query for comment about ending its sponsorship of the DStv Delicious Festival. Comment will be added here when received.

Earlier this year, insiders told TVwithThinus that the sponsorships of all arts and cultural festivals that used to be sponsored by MultiChoice and M-Net channels like kykNET and Mzansi Magic, as well as the money that went from MultiChoice to support film festivals like the Silwerskermfees and Joburg Film Festival are going to come under serious threat due to the Canal+ takeover.

The French firm is busy with an aggressive cost-cutting strategy at MultiChoice and doing away with anything deemed "non-core".

Canal+, which has shut down MultiChoice's loss-making Showmax streaming service, aims to achieve annual cost-cutting of over €400 million (R7.5 billion) by 2030 following its acquisition of MultiChoice.

Canal+ Africa is offering voluntary severance packages to MultiChoice staffers and will hire 1 000 new sales staff across the sub-Saharan Africa to drive DStv decoder sales and DStv subscription uptake.

Earlier this month, David Mignot, Canal+ Africa CEO, said that Canal+ Africa will reduce its reliance on international vendors and content, continue to do local content investment and slash hardware costs like DStv decoder prices to try and reverse subscriber decline.

David Mignot said the 17 different pay-TV packages offered by MultiChoice are too many and confusing to subscribers, which he described as "absurd complexity" and will be reduced, and that MultiChoice has 5 different DStv decoders in the market just in South Africa and that will be reduced as well.

David Mignot said Canal+ will renegotiate contracts with 90% of international vendors to reduce costs, targeting suppliers in the United States, Europe and elsewhere, including technology and content providers.

These savings are designed to fund subsidies for DStv decoders and finance local content.

The HBO series from Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) has for instance already disappeared from the M-Net (DStv 101) channel and Warner Bros. films from the M-Net Movies channels on DStv, after Canal+ refused to pay WBD for a continuation of the decades-long contract to have premium content like Game of Thrones shown on M-Net.

MultiChoice gives eligible Showmax subscribers the chance to switch for a year to DStv Stream Compact for R99 per month

by Thinus Ferreira

MultiChoice is migrating some of its Showmax subscribers to DStv Stream Compact who will be offered access at R99 per month for a year, after losing access to Showmax.

Canal+ decided to axe Showmax that MultiChoice did in partnership with Comcast's NBCUniversal, with the failed video streaming service which will remain accessible until 30 April although no new content is being added.

In order to not lose those Showmax subscribers entirely, MultiChoice is giving eligible Showmax subscribers a trial access to DStv Stream Compact for free, until the end of May 2026. 

After that they can pay R99 per month, for a year at this price if they remain monthly paying subscribers.

About moving eligible Showmax-only subscribers to a DStv Stream service at a discount rate, Willington Ngwepe, MultiChoice CEO, says "Our priority is to ensure customers continue to have a home for the stories they love".

"By bringing thousands of hours of Showmax Originals and a deeper on-demand library into DStv Stream, we are creating a more holistic experience where live sport, news, the best international content, and award-winning local drama live together." 

According to the company, DStv Compact, DStv Compact Plus and DStv Premium subscribers will get access to Showmax content on DStv Stream at no additional cost.

How it will work from today for eligible Showmax-only subscribers who are given the opportunity to access DStv Stream, is that they will get a trial access to DStv Stream Compact until the end of May.

This offer and details on how to do it, will be communicated to them directly, using the email address linked to their Showmax account.

After the trial period, these eligible former Showmax customers would be offered the chance to continue on DStv Stream Compact at R99 per month for 12 months - provided payments remain up to date.

This offer will be for qualifying customers, including Showmax subscribers who do not have an active DStv subscription and who subscribe directly to Showmax. It excludes existing DStv customers who already receive Showmax content as part of their package or who add Showmax to their DStv bill.

The offer will be for all Showmax plans, including Showmax Premier League.

Showmax subscriptions will not migrate automatically. According to Showmax, customers who want to continue watching, will need to follow the sign-up process for DStv Stream shared in the email, and create a new email.

Showmax subscribers who don't want to move to DStv Stream may request a refund for any unused portion of their Showmax subscription. Auto-payments to Showmax will stop automatically once the service is discontinued. 

 

The Showmax platform will be discontinued on 30 April 2026, with Showmax Originals continuing on DStv Stream.

Why M-Net's Carte Blanche is exiting its Ferndale office space and switching to a work-from-home staff format

by Thinus Ferreira

M-Net's long-running weekly investigative current affairs programme Carte Blanche is exiting its office space in Johannesburg, with the show produced by Combined Artistic Productions that has decided to switch to a work-from-home format.

Combined Artistic Productions is giving up its office space in Oak Avenue in Johannesburg at the end of March. 

What DStv subscribers of Canal+'s MultiChoice however see, and are familiar with on Sunday evenings on M-Net (DStv 101), is the beautiful blue-hue Carte Blanche set, located at Stark Studios, which remains in place. 

"Combined Artists will be vacating its rented Ferndale offices at the end of this month as the building has been sold by its owner," John Webb, Carte Blanche executive producer, told TVwithThinus in response to a media query about the building move.

"We considered finding alternative office space but, given the experience gained during the pandemic and to improve operational efficiencies, we’ve decided instead to return to a work-from-home model."

"As our internal team is small and we rely on freelance producers and other technical contractors for the bulk of our content, a fixed office space is no longer a necessity."

Since Canal+ took over MultiChoice, all local programming is at risk, with Canal+ executives saying they're going with a "fine-comb through everything". 

It's not yet publicly known what Canal+'s plans are for channels like M-Net and premium local programming like Carte Blanche, and if channels and shows like these will continue.

The M-Net channel will celebrate its 40th anniversary in October, with the 37-year-old Carte Blanche as the channel's longest-running local show.

First HBO Harry Potter series official teaser released as Canal+'s MultiChoice and M-Net have still not secured it for DStv

by Thinus Ferreira

On Wednesday evening HBO released the first official teaser for its upcoming new Harry Potter series, entitled Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone that will debut over Christmas this year on its HBO Max video streaming service.

Canal+'s MultiChoice and M-Net (DStv 101) have so far failed to secure this series, set to run for a decade, for DStv subscribers in South Africa.

It means that currently, no DStv subscribers anywhere in Africa would be able to see the Harry Potter TV series when it starts in December 2026. 

Canal+ and M-Net have failed to extend the output deal that expired at the end of December 2025 with Warner Bros Discovery (WBD) that existed for decades for Warner Bros TV and film studios content like TV series and films, as well as HBO content for M-Net.

It means that no HBO series or Warner films are currently available on the M-Net channel or the M-Net Movies channels on DStv for subscribers, with Canal+ that is busy with aggressive cost-cutting at MultiChoice.

Sky in the United Kingdom as well as other pay-TV operators worldwide, secured the upcoming Harry Potter series over a year ago, but in March 2026 MultiChoice and M-Net have nothing.

J.B. Perrette, the CEO and president of global streaming and games at WBD, has repeatedly referred to the upcoming Harry Potter TV series as "the streaming event of the decade".

During a 2026 press event in London, Perrette further amplified this, saying that when the first season of the Harry Potter series starts in December, it would be "the biggest streaming event in history and arguably in streaming, period".

So far, Canal+'s MultiChoice and M-Net will not make South African pay-TV subscribers part of this global viewing event who will be excluded. 

Ironically, Canal+'s MultiChoice and M-Net will very likely be directly pushing many people who are not going to wait to see it, to pirate episodes of Harry Potter in order to watch it immediately in the way M-Net used to promote HBO's "Express from the US" content.

The official teaser of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone series was released on Wednesday evening, as part of a press event that HBO held in London for media.

Starting with the first of seven books of JK Rowling, it introduces the three central characters of Harry (Dominic McLaughlin), Hermione Granger (Arabella Stanton) and Ron Weasley (Alastair Stout) as 11-year-olds on the train to their first year at the Hogwarts wizarding school.

Scenes also include Harry meeting the half-giant Hagrid (Nick Frost), the introduction of Hogwarts' Sorting Hat and Harry's his first Quidditch game as Gryffindor seeker.

John Lithgow was cast as Headmaster Albus Dumbledore, with Janet McTeer as Professor Minerva McGonagall and Paapa Essiedu as Professor Severus Snape. 

Filming takes place at Warner Bros.'s Leavesden Studios in Hertfordshire, England, since July 2025 on the sets that were used for the Harry Potter movies.

ALSO READ: HBO Harry Potter series cast Dominic McLaughlin, Arabella Stanton and Alastair Stout as Harry, Hermione and Ron

Angry MultiChoice execs sidelined by Canal+ frustrated and fearful for the(ir) future after decision-making moved to Paris - report

by Thinus Ferreira

Frustrated MultiChoice executives, sitting in Randburg in Johannesburg and who used to have final approval on decisions, say they're fearful about the future and their futures, after new owner Canal+ swooped in and moved the final decision-making function to Canal+'s own executives in Paris.

In a new report by Africa Intelligence, MultiChoice executives are quoted as saying they're frustrated and angry about having been sidelined in the decision-making process regarding content and other decisions since Canal+ acquired MultiChoice in September 2025.

According to the report, several MultiChoice executives who used to be in the loop, explained that they were not even so much as consulted recently before the publication of Canal+'s financial results for 2025 that now includes MultiChoice.

Angry MultiChoice executives are blaming Maxime Saada, Canal+ CEO, and David Mignot, Canal+ Africa managing director, for the way that things inside MultiChoice have deteriorated and broken down.

Meanwhile discontent under MultiChoice executives are growing, as well as producers and content creators, with MultiChoice staff telling producers that projects, budgets and approvals are all delayed and stacking up at Canal+ headquarters in Paris where Canal+ either can't or won't make decisions and do final sign-offs.

According to Africa Intelligence, the new Canal+ Africa management structure includes the former MultiChoice CEO, Calvo Mawela who has been kept on as Canal+ Africa president; Hennie Visser as director of Africa operations, and Byron du Plessis who was MultiChoice SA CEO, as a regional manager.

Aziz Diallo now oversees French-speaking Africa, Kemi Omotosho is now responsible for Nigeria, Retief Tromp is looking after English-speaking countries outside of South Africa, while Glauco Ferreira is overseeing the Portuguese-speaking countries in Africa.

Fuming MultiChoice and SuperSport executives say their hands are tied and they can no longer make decisions, are isolated and have no final say with anything anymore, and have to send decisions to Paris and then wait approval from there.

 Not only are these executives frustrated, they're also wondering about their futures within what used to be MultiChoice or Canal+ Africa going forward.

Canal+ is shuttering MultiChoice's loss-making streamer Showmax by 30 April, and while neither staff involved with Showmax, or within MultiChoice can he retrenched, Canal+ is now going to offer voluntary severance packages to try and get rid of workers who might want out.

According to the agreement Canal+ signed with South Africa's Competition Commission, no MultiChoice workers can be retrenched for a period of three years. 

What is however happening, is that people who work for service providers and production companies making local content for DStv channels like M-Net, kykNET, Mzansi Magic and Africa Magic are losing jobs.

This is because the volume of content that MultiChoice used to commission for these channels are decreasing due to Canal+'s cost-cutting, and because of the end of Showmax as a separate platform.

Canal+ to end Showmax subscriptions on 1 April 2026, will axe streamer on 30 April, as content moves to DStv Stream and later Canal+ app

by Thinus Ferreira

Canal+'s Showmax will end subscriptions for its doomed video streaming service from 1 April 2026 as Showmax content will temporarily be moved to DStv Stream, and later Canal+'s app, also known as Canal+.

Showmax will stop on 30 April 2026.

Earlier this month, Canal+ announced that it's ending the loss-making Showmax that it said could have destroyed MultiChoice.

Banks like Absa, Capitec, FNB and Discovery Bank have all stopped selling Showmax vouchers. 

Capitec has stopped all Showmax vouchers, while the others have stopped all three and six months vouchers but still offer one-month vouchers.

MultiChoice launched Showmax in August 2015. 

Showmax was relaunched in February 2024 in partnership with Comcast's NBCUniversal and Sky in the United Kingdom but immediately turned into a bottomless money pit as it failed to reach the lofty targets of aggressive subscriber growth that MultiChoice executives promised investors before the relaunch.

After its takeover of MultiChoice, Maxime Saada, Canal+ CEO, said the new owner realised that Showmax is a massive MultiChoice financial loss and failure that Canal+ had to get rid of. 

NBCUniversal has a 30% stake in Showmax and Canal+ has refused to say what it is paying NBCUniversal to end the disastrous partnership in the streaming service venture.

Some Showmax Originals have quietly been rebranded and will transition to some of M-Net's linear TV channels like M-Net, kykNET and Mzansi Magic, for instance the second season of the Canal+ and MultiChoice co-production Spinners that was filmed in Cape Town and specifically created for a Showmax audience. 

Wura, The Nigerian adaptation of Mzansi Magic's The River telenovela has for instance been rebranded as an Africa Magic Original from its fourth season that will debut on DStv's  Africa Magic Showcase and Africa Magic Family TV channels on 30 March and no longer on Showmax.     

"Showmax is starting a new chapter and your favourite shows are getting a shiny new home on DStv Stream. Even better, they'll be joining a bigger world of entertainment, all in one place," MultiChoice said on Wednesday evening in a message to Showmax subscribers.

This is, however, not the real new "one place". 

After the move of Showmax content to DStv DStream, the content will be moved again, once Canal+ rolls out its own Canal+ video streaming service in South Africa and elsewhere in sub-Saharan Africa within a few months.

31 March 2026 will be the very last day for subscribers to renew a Showmax subscription or to redeem any outstanding vouchers. From 1 April 2026, absolutely no new Showmax subscriptions and renewals will be available or work.

Existing Showmax subscribers will be able to continue watching content "as usual, until your subscription ends, or until the end of April 2026 - whichever comes first".

MultiChoice said in response to a media query that the "Showmax services closes on 30 April".

According to MultiChoice "Showmax Originals and more will be available to DStv Compact and DStv Premium satellite and streaming-only customers via the DStv Stream app", and noted that "more movies and series will be added over the coming weeks".

MultiChoice noted that "The stories that defined Showmax are not disappearing. Instead, they are finding a new home on DStv Stream, where a dedicated Showmax section inside the app brings together many of Showmax’s most acclaimed originals and fan favourites alongside the full live streaming experience available on DStv’s standalone streaming service".

"Showmax Originals and more will be available on DStv Compact and DStv Premium packages exclusively on DStv Stream."

"This move ensures that the award-winning African series remain widely available after the current Showmax service closes on 30 April, now within the broader DStv streaming experience."

In a prepared statement, Nomsa Philiso, director of content for general entertainment English and Portuguese-speaking territories at MultiChoice, said "Series like The Wife, Youngins, Devilsdorp, and Adulting, along with productions from Nigeria, Kenya and across the continent, were created through collaboration between MultiChoice’s content teams and local producers. That commitment to African storytelling does not change".

Besides the transition of Showmax content to the Canal+ app, Canal+ Africa is also working to extend the existing partnership with Netflix in Francophone Africa and to roll out the bundling of Netflix with DStv in South Africa and the rest of English-speaking sub-Saharan Africa.

In Francophone Africa, Canal+ and Netflix have a partnership since July 2025, whereby Netflix and access to it is bundled into certain premium Canal+ subscriptions at no extra cost, which is what Canal+'s plan is to do for MultiChoice's English-speaking territories as well.