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".

SAVAGE NO-SHOW. As Naomi Campbell and Nigerian singer Tiwa Savage both ditched SABC3's late night show #WTFTumi, presenter Tumi Morake slams disrespectful Tiwa for her trashy behaviour that left producers scrambling.

The former supermodel Naomi Campbell and the Nigerian singer Tiwa Savage both became no-shows on Monday's episode of the late night talk show #WTFTumi on SABC3 that left producers scrambling, with presenter Tumi Morake slamming the Nigerian artist for simply driving off and calling the disrespectful Tiwa Savage out over her shockingly bad behaviour.

While SABC3 announced that Naomi Campbell would be on #WTFTumi on Monday night's episode, Naomi - although unfortunate - pre-cancelled, with producers who knew with some time to plan, that the former supermodel won't make the show anymore.

Both Naomi Campbell and Tiwa Savage were in Johannesburg, South Africa, for the media launch of some charity thing called Global Citizen Festival where American artists will perform.

While Naomi Campbell cancelled ahead of time, although after SABC3 already made the announcement that she would be on, Tiwa Savage was still booked and a lock to make an appearance on #WTFTumi produced by Urban Brew Studios.

Monday night was supposed to be the celebration of the show's first birthday, with #WTFTumi currently in its second season.

Tiwa Savage on Monday suddenly arrived at the studio simply to tell producers that she will no longer be available to appear on #WTFTumi at 22:00 for the live show.

Urban Brew Studios producers then scrambled to try and do a pre-recorded insert and interview with Tiwa Savage but the Nigerian singer got in her vehicle and sped off, leaving flabbergasted producers behind who had to scramble to try and come up with a new guest.

Tumi Morake slammed Tiwa Savage's trash behaviour and told HuffPost SA that she "quite disrespectfully and unapologetically, arrived, said she wouldn't wait for us to go live at 22:00 and as we scrambled to prerecord her quickly, she drove off".

Tiwa Savage was replaced by singer Simphiwe Dana who filled in for Naomi Campbell and Tiwa Savage's absence.

Tumi Morake explained that #WTFTumi producers create and customise games and other in-show content specifically for who the guests are going to be ahead of time - something that obviously takes time and research.

"When they cancel right there in front of you, it is a huge scramble for everyone and affects other guests. The last minute drop was really uncalled for. I was flabbergasted when I was running to the studio and a crew member comes to me and says, 'she has driven off'. I was like, what? After all of that!"