MultiChoice

MultiChoice, founded on 9 November 1994, emerged from the subscriber-management division of M-Net, South Africa's first terrestrial pay television company. The roots of the business go back to 1983, when Koos Bekker, then a Columbia University student, wrote a paper that led to the creation of M-Net. Bekker and two partners pitched the idea to Naspers, which took a 26% stake and installed Ton Vosloo as board chair. In 1993, M-Net split into two divisions, and the division handling subscriber management, signal distribution, and cellphone operations became MultiChoice the following year. MultiChoice Africa was established in 1996 after the company secured a broadcasting license for Namibia in 1991.

Today, MultiChoice is controlled by French media conglomerate Canal+, which acquired effective control after securing over 72% of shares. The company remains listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange under the ticker MCG. Its portfolio includes DStv, the dominant satellite television service across Sub-Saharan Africa; GOtv, a terrestrial TV platform operating in nine countries; SuperSport, a leading sports broadcaster; M-Net, the original premium entertainment channel; and BetKing, a betting platform in which MultiChoice holds a 49% stake. Through Irdeto, the company is a world leader in content security and delivery for pay-media companies.

MultiChoice serves more than 14 million households across 50 countries, including Sub-Saharan Africa, Cape Verde, and Madagascar. Its headquarters are at 144 Braam Fischer, Randburg, Gauteng, South Africa. The company employs over 10,000 people and reported revenue of R49.98 billion (approximately $2.7 billion) for fiscal year 2025, with net income of R1.78 billion and total assets of R39.2 billion. Value-added services include aggregated third-party streaming platforms (Netflix, Disney+, Prime Video, YouTube), additional content packages (ADD Movies, DStv Indian, French Plus), DStv Insurance, connected devices like the DStv Explora Ultra, and fixed-wireless LTE via DStv Internet. [edit]