Trace has a channel rebrand event for Trace Ngoma TV channel on DStv, MultiChoice CEO notes 'the evolution of a brand'

by Thinus Ferreira

On Wednesday night, TRACe held some type of launch event for its rebranded Trace Ngoma (DStv 326) TV channel on Canal+'s MultiChoice DStv platform, although it failed to tell media and journalists covering TV anything about it or that it would take place.

Trace rebranded Trace Africa to Trace Ngoma in December 2025, and now, three months later, decided to have some type of a rebranding launch event for it.

In December, Olivier Laouchez, co-founder and Trace CEO, in a statement, said "Trace Ngoma is where music meets identity. It amplifies the rhythms and stories that define South African culture and gives young people a space to connect and feel seen".

On Wednesday, Trace Southern Africa had the cheek to ask on its social media account on X, formerly known as Twitter, to ask "If you are not here where are you?!" - apparently too stupid to realise that media trying to cover TRACE and not aware of, and not told beforehand that something would happen, will be even more put off and care less about the channel in response to TRACE's basically non-existent media liaison efforts.

Somebody who was invited and who was told about the Trace Ngoma event was Willington Ngwepe, MultiChoice South Africa CEO and DStv Media Sales.

In a video recorded on Wednesday night by someone who attended, Willington Ngwepe is seen saying "It's a very special evening for us. Today we're celebrating the evolution of a brand. This brand has been a very stable offering on our linear broadcasting offering on DStv".

Willington Ngwepe noted "a partnership of over 23 years" that he sees "getting stronger and stronger for another 23 years" and said Trace is becoming "an anchor of the creative digital economy".

Olivier Laouchez, likely also spoke but it's not known what he said.

At the event, Trace apparently also talked about some type of app it has, but information about what was said about it wasn't shared.

Three months in, industry observers and advertisers have said they're still unsure of what Trace Ngoma is now and why the rebrand happened, with very little reporting industry reporting about it.

ALSO READ: Trace renames Trace Africa music channel to Trace Ngoma

Trace renames Trace Africa music channel to Trace Ngoma

by Thinus Ferreira

Trace is renaming its Trace Africa (DStv 326) channel to Trace Ngoma with the change that will happen on 18 December and with the channel remaining on the same channel number on DStv run by Canal+'s MultiChoice.

In a press statement, Trace says Trace Africa is renamed Trace Ngoma "To strengthen the connection with South African audiences by offering programming that reflects their identity and lived experience".

"Trace Ngoma provides culturally relevant content in local languages, rather than a broad pan-African approach."

Olivier Laouchez, co-founder and Trace CEO, in the statement, says "Trace Ngoma is where music meets identity. It amplifies the rhythms and stories that define South African culture and gives young people a space to connect and feel seen".

Trace Ngoma will air DJ sets and performance shows, presenter-led programming blocks, docu-stories like The Booth and On the Come Up with Sipho Magosha about artists and producers, faith-influenced and traditional programming like Gospel Kickstarter, and continue to show music video playlists according to various genres and languages ranging from amapiano and Afri-pop to maskandi, hip-hop, gqom, gospel and lemkompo.

Locally curated shows include Amapiano plz, Maskandi Vibes, Ke Hip Hop Dawg!, Lekompo Fela and Top 10 Afropop.

TRACE adds new docuseries CODE with presenter Ninka Mbaye exploring afro-urban trends and talents.

by Thinus Ferreira

TRACE is launching CODE as a new docuseries that will explore afro-urban trends and talents wth CODE that will start on Friday 5 November on Trace Urban (DStv 325) and Trace Africa (DStv 326) at 16:00.

The 16-minute CODE has Ninka Mbaye as presenter and will "decode" afro-urban trends and put the spotlight on talents from different origins to empower the new generation.

Each episode of CODE will be centred around an industry insider as they touch on a wide range of topics including their rise to fame, their downfalls, and how they overcame challenges.

CODE will also introduce new afro-urban trends from across the world, "decrypting" the latest news from music, culture, beauty, fashion, dance, art and food trends. 

CODE will also put a spotlight on inspiring iconic industry players making an impact in urban culture across the globe such as Sean Paul, Shaggy, Youssoupha and Kendji Girac.

"TRACE not only plans to offer great content on our platforms but also to create programs that promote diversity and inclusion for all," says Olivier Laouchez, co-founder and CEO of TRACE.

"We want to put the spotlight on the success stories of artists, creators and entrepreneurs in order to make talents from all over the world shine while inspiring the youth."

Viewers will be able to interact online during the broadcast of CODE by scanning the QR code of CODE that will be displayed on the screen. CODE's unique feature will grant viewers access to all episodes and additional content.

TRACE Southern Africa ups Valentine Gaudin-Muteba to managing director to replace Leo Manne joining Net#work BBDO.

TRACE has upped Valentine Gaudin-Muteba who has been appointed as managing director for media, sales and operations at TRACE Southern Africa.

Her promotion follows Leo Manne's exit who quit to head up the creative ad agency Net#work BBDO as its new managing director.

Leo Manne, a former SABC executive, joined TRACE in May 2015 where he's been the past three years.

TRACE's channels are available on MultiChoice's DStv, Cell C's black subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) service, and eMedia Investment's Openview that carries Trace Sport Stars.

Valentine Gaudin-Muteba was TRACE Southern Africa's managing director in its Johannesburg office between September 2014 and July 2016 and was then promoted to vice president of channels and operations the past two years. 

From France, she's been living in South Africa the past 11 years.

TRACE says in her new role Valentine Gaudin-Muteba will be "responsible for ensuring that TRACE remains a relevant mouthpiece for the expression of Afro Urban talent across its many business verticals".

Olivier Laouchez, TRACE group executive chairperson, will continue as the Southern Africa CEO, based in South Africa.

MultiChoice dumps the downgraded Trace Sport Stars channel from Trace Group after 4 years; replacing it with another music channel, TRACE Africa.

The downgraded Trace Sport Stars (DStv 188) from the Trace Group is getting dumped from MultiChoice's DStv at the end of the month just 4 years after it was added and will be replaced by the TRACE Africa channel in South Africa.

In West Africa, MultiChoice is adding the TRACE Naija channel on channel 325, and in East Africa MultiChoice is adding TRACE Mziki on channel 323 on DStv.

Trace Sport Stars - a type of E! Entertainment meets sports stars - was added to DStv in April 2012 as the Trace Sports channel but never really popped or got buzz and struggled to bring viewers enough new content.

Trying to lift the meagre viewership, MultiChoice and Trace downgraded Trace Sport Stars in October 2014 by lowering the channel's premium only status - which for two years was only for DStv Premium subscribers - making it available to DStv Extra, DStv Compact and DStv Family subscribers.

Trace Sport Stars was added to StarTimes Media SA and On Digital Media's (ODM) StarSat satellite pay-TV platform at the same time.

In 2014  pay-TV operator Sky in the United Kingdom dumped Trace Sport Stars after just 2 years.

Now the under-performing Trace Sport Stars is getting chucked out with not even a month's notice to DStv subscribers; subscribers were told today that Trace Sport Stars is getting dumped at the end of August.

The Trace Sport Stars channel will remain on StarSat and is only being removed from MultiChoice's DStv.

StarSat tells TVwithThinus that Trace Sport Stars will remain available on its platform.

The channel, also carried on Platco Digital's OpenView HD (from eMedia Investments) will remain and continue on this free-to-air satellite-TV platform as well.

MultiChoice is adding TRACE Africa (DStv 326) from the Trace Group from 1 September as yet another music channel, and will sit alongside the existing TRACE Urban (DStv 325) channel.

Like Trace Sport Stars, TRACE Africa won't be a premium channel and will be available to DStv Premium, DStv Extra, DStv Compact and DStv Family subscribers in South Africa.

TRACE Africa will show music videos and documentaries as "a localised music channel" from established and emerging South African artists with music genres like Afro-pop, kwaito, house, rumba and others.

TRACE CEO Olivier Laouchez had nothing to say about the South African restructuring and changes and the dumping of Trace Sport Stars channel from DStv and the creation of TRACE Africa in South Africa.

The separate press release issued in the rest of Africa, however contains a drop-in quote from Olivier Laouchez, commenting on TRACE Naija for West Africa and TRACE Mziki for East Africa, saying: "TRACE is already the leading music brand in Africa".

"These 2 new localized music channels will help promote more artists from the two biggest music hubs of Africa and they will better serve the strong need of the local audiences for great local content".

Former suspended SABC TV boss Leo Manne resurfaces at Trace as the TV group's new senior vice president for Southern Africa.

The former and suspended SABC TV boss Leo Manne who resigned last month at the public broadcaster, has suddenly resurfaced at Trace where he has just been appointed in a new position to look after the TV entertainment group's Southern Africa region.

Leo Manne is the newly appointed senior vice president for the Southern African region for Trace which runs TV channels like Trace Sport Stars (DStv 188) and Trace Urban (DStv 325) on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV platform.

Leo Manne left the SABC under a cloud at the end of April after he resigned, following a protracted 7 months suspension and investigation since the end of September last year for a possible disciplinary hearing.

Leo Manne, previously the longtime SABC1 channel head who was then promoted to general manager for TV channels over SABC1, SABC2 and SABC3 at the SABC, was suspended by the SABC on 25 September 2014, "pending investigations".

The suspension followed over allegations that he was listed as a director of Siyaya TV, one of the new pay-TV operators who received a licence in 2014 from the broadcasting regulator, the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa) to start a new subscription television service.

Siyaya Free to Air TV will be a new competitor for not just MultiChoice's DStv, On Digital Media's (ODM) StarSat and Platco Digital's OpenView HD (OVHD) but also terrestrial broadcasters like the SABC and e.tv.

Siyaya Free to Air TV for instance snagged the exclusive TV broadcasting and radio rights to Bafana Bafana games last year in a 6-year deal reportedly worth more than R1 billion, taking it away from the SABC which used to have it and show these soccer games on SABC1.

After months of being suspended, Leo Manne took his case to the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA), demanding to be reinstated as the general manager for TV channels at the SABC.

In April however, the CCMA ruled in favour of the SABC. The CCMA says "in the matter between the SABC and Leonard Moeranne Manne an arbitration award was issued on 21 April 2015 with the arbitrator ruling in favour of the employer of the employer".

Leo Manne tendered his official resignation from his SABC position after the CCMA ruling, which also brought to an end to the SABC's investigation which dragged along.

Trace has now hired Leo Manne, saying in a statement he will now oversee all broadcast media related operations within the Southern Africa region as Trace's new senior vice president after he's meandered through South Africa's media industry.

"I have always embraced any opportunity in my career that has allowed me to work with and create great media brands, especially in the context of a rapidly changing television and entertainment environment," says Leo Manne.

Leo Manne says he is looking forward to delivering "compelling and engaging localised content" for Trace.

"Leo Manne's specialised skills in broadcast media will prove to be a valuable asset to Trace moving forward and we welcome his unquestionable talents," says Olivier Laouchez, Trace CEO.

BREAKING. Trace Sports on DStv changing the channel's name to Trace Sport Stars; wants to lure more female viewers.

Trace Sports on DStv on channel 188, the general sports entertainment channel covering the celebrity aspect of international sport stars, has rebranding as Trace Sport Stars.

The Trace Sports to Trace Sport Stars name change which will be rolled out globally, was effected on 19 June on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV platform, although the Trace Group didn't talk about and communicated the name change of the brand or gave any advance warning to the press.

The Trace Group for the first time informed the press about the name change of Trace Sports to Trace Sport Stars in South Africa on Wednesday evening 3 July - exactly two weeks after it happened.

The Trace Sport Stars name change implemented by the Trace Group starts in South Africa and Africa on DStv and in the United Kingdom on Sky and will be staggered around the world for the rest of the 130 countries where Trace Sports has carriage agreements with pay-TV operators.

Besides the name change to Trace Sport Stars, the logo is also undergoing a modification with the addition of a gold star. The name and image change of the channel comes just over a year after Trace Sports launched on DStv on 17 April 2012.

"The brand evolution reflects the editorial move to give the channel a stronger focus on stars and sport celebrities," says Trace Sport Stars.

"Together with the new brand, Trace Sport Stars is also introducing new programmes made by international award-winning producers," says the channel.

"This brand evolution starts in two of our key markets, Africa and the United Kingdom," says Olivier Laouchez, the CEO of the Trace Group which also supplies channels such as the music channel Trace Urban to MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV platform in South Africa and Africa.

"The addition of the 'Stars' component in the channel branding and the launch of new programmes will give us access to a larger, younger and more female audience," says Olivier Laouchez.

"This move will help us maintain our unique competitive advantage in the pay-TV market, providing the very first and best sport entertainment network."

Trace CEO Olivier Laouchez jetting into South Africa again next week; now visiting SA monthly.

You're reading it here first. 

I can reveal that Olivier Laouchez, the chairman and CEO, of Trace is once again jetting into South Africa next week.

Trace runs the channels Trace Urban (DStv 325) and Trace Sports (DStv 188) on MultiChoice's DStv pay-TV platform.

Olivier Laouchez will have some meetings, as well as do an industry presentation next week of Trace's innovations within the music, sports and mobile industries in Africa.

Insiders tell me that Olivier Laouchez now regularly visits South Africa.

"He travels a lot around Africa as well but I would say he spends about two weeks every month at the South African offices," I'm told.

Olivier Laouchez is of course a very busy man and clocking up the frequent flyer miles.

The highly-successful Trace Sports channel keeps signing carriage agreements around the world on an extremely fast growing list of pay-TV providers.

INTERVIEW. TRACE Sports CEO Olivier Laouchez: 'We give viewers the opportunity to get to know their favourite champions better.'

The brand-new TRACE Sports (DStv 129) channel launched in South Africa at the end of April, bringing a great new addition and a unique concept - sportainment - to South African viewers as the channel is being rolled out aggressively all over the world.

I asked Olivier Laouchez, the chairperson and the CEO of the TRACE group responsible for this new channel, more about TRACE Sports - and he shared some fascinating and insightful answers with me.

The global roll-out of TRACE Sports has been nothing short of extremely remarkable. Nobody's said it but in terms of a new channel launch, TRACE Sports must be the fastest acquired new TV channel globally by operators if one looks at the very quick rate in which TRACE Sports landed on platforms from Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas. 
Is this because of management, or because platforms instantly recognised the unique and appealing format and value proposition of this channel?
I believe that TRACE Sports' quick success can be explained through the fact that the channel is unique on the market. Sports people are not just athletes anymore: they inspire us. What we have realised is that "traditional" sports channels are either focused on live events or on giving news related to sports competitions results.

With TRACE Sports we give viewers the opportunity to get to know their favourite champions better, with a more intimate approach. We also give the opportunity to share their messages and commitments with their fans. In short, TRACE Sports starts where other sports channels stop and TRACE Sports stops where other sports channels starts. This is why many pay TV operators in many different countries were so excited in offering a complementary offer to their sports fans.

Furthermore, 2012 is a very important year for sport; the Euro will take place in June and everyone around the world is excited for the Olympics in July and August. There is also the Afcon taking place in South Africa in January 2013. So obviously, it is not a coincidence that TRACE Sports is launching in so many countries in 2012. TRACE Sports proposes unique and exclusive content with many of the sports starts that will shine during these great competitions. Many platforms that will broadcast these events live were seduced by the possibility given by TRACE Sports to create a unique emotional connection between the players and the fans. Once you know the real lives of sports stars, you are more likely to switch on your TV to watch them perform live.

TRACE Sports is a wonderful fusion of the world of sports with infotainment and entertainment. How did the concept come about initially?
Sports content is a major driver to generate TV ratings and subscriptions. The TRACE brand is already very important in the music entertainment business and many of TRACE music channels loyal viewers are sports stars. Through the direct relation I have with sports stars, I realised they have more to share than their live sports performance. They inspire us, they have great lives, strong messages, committments and visions they want to talk abouot. Obviously, once this is said, the difficulty was to translate it into a 24 hours a day, 7 days a week TV channel.

TRACE Sports wants to get access to sports stars for instance for profiles programmes - for which you have to play a bit nice and be not too invasive. Yet when they mess up you cover that too - for instance their personal lives and divorces. How does TRACE Sports strikes the tone between hero worship but also being grounded in giving the facts but without then losing access, and remaining credible and entertaining?
We promised our viewers behind-the-scenes access to sports celebrities and a gateway to their intimate lives. This includes profile programmes, in which celebrities can share whatever they feel like with us, but this also includes programmes such as Sporty News, covering the latest gossip.

The purpose of TRACE Sports is to satisfy the viewer, who wants to know all about his favourite athlete. Being a bit invasive is not a major issue if we are not "trashy", and if the sports stars are okay to share.  Most of TRACE Sports content is very aspirational, infotainment and TRACE Sports will not be the TV version of some UK tabloids.We all know the News of the World story and we do not want to position TRACE Sports like this.

We do believe that champions have great things to share with their fans, and this is the whole purpose of TRACE Sports. Of course, viewers love gossip and TRACE Sports also covers some of the "verified" gossips about sports celebs - but TRACE Sports' aim is to share a real message, and not simple gossip about champions. And when we consider the great feedback we have had so far in South Africa, it looks like our viewers are actually convinced by this positioning.

How did the on-air look come about and the colours? Why black and blue and white and does it signify anything specifically? The look is very clean, understated and dynamic. How long did the work take in creating the entire appearance and feel of TRACE Sports?
TRACE Sports belong to the TRACE family and shares the DNA of TRACE branding as far as the fonts and on-air look for instance. The blue, black and white colours were chosen because these are very well recognised and identified in the universe of sports. Orange is our corporate colour and the colour of our first music channel, TRACE Urban (DStv channel 325).

We have been working on TRACE's visual and on-air identity with a design and creative agency for the last three years. When I started working in the music business in the 90's, I was already working with the creative team of 360. They are certainly among the best to design a concept around urban music and sports people.

You must have travelled an awful lot globally the past 2 years. What is your vision for TRACE Sports in South Africa but also for the channel globally? Are you done with the bulk of the global roll-out of the channel or how far are you currently with your plans for what and where you want TRACE Sports as a channel to be?

TRACE Sports has been launched just one year ago, so we consider it just the beginning of its global expansion! We are of course very pleased of the fact that the channel is already available in over 70 countries, but this is just the beginning. We are planning to launch in other countries in the next couple of months with more and more localised feeds.

I believe that TRACE Sports has a huge potential and I am confident that it will have as much success as TRACE Urban if we manage to stay fpcused on the two pillars that make a TV channel successful - great content, both local and international and great marketing.

We are working on new quirky entertaining programmes for the channel, and believe me, there will be new shows coming up soon with some South African and the world's biggest sports celebrities.

Anything else interesting?
Because of the importance of sports here, South Africa has been defined as one of TRACE Sports top 5 priority markets and the TRACE group is now allocating significant resources to make more and more South African content with local sports celebs. In order to accelerate this local content generation, TRACE will soon develop partnerships and co-production agreements with brands and other TV broadcasters who share our vision regarding the new generation of sport content.

We have already started producing the show In the Name of Good with a South African presenter Joelle Mayembe. TRACE Sports in South Africa will also benefit from digitaldevelopments we are doing to provide a deeper and richer experience around the sports celebs life through smartphone, PC and tablets.