Canal+ completes the acquisition of $ 3 billion in Multichice

The Conglomerate of the French Media Canal+ has aimed for the acquisition of 3 billion dollars (about R55 billion) of the Multichoice group of South Africa, ensuring full control of the main Pay-TV services of the continent, DSTV and GOTV.

The historical agreement, officially approved by the Court of Competition of South Africa on Wednesday 23 July 2025, should significantly remode the African panorama of the media and entertainment.

With a participation of 45.2%, Canal+ moved to acquire the remaining actions of Multichice following an investment of 1.3 billion dollars ($ 1.3 billion) made by 2020. With this acquisition, the owner owned by Vivendi aims to deepen his expansion in the English -speaking African markets and strengthen his presence through the continuous.

Canal+ CEO Maxime Saada, in a declaration issued through the Johannesburg stock exchange, expressed satisfaction with the court’s decision. “The approval by the court of the South African competition marks the final phase of the South African competition process and clarifies for us to conclude the transaction in line with our previously communicated time sequence,” said Saada. “This acquisition represents a significant step in the expansion of our presence throughout Africa”.

Pending the final approval of the Authority for independent communications of South Africa (ICASA), the transaction should be completely aimed by 8 October 2025.

The multichoice was originally transformed by the Naspers technology giant in 2019, it was a dominant force in the African transmissions sector for four decades, boasting almost 50 million subscribers throughout the continent. It is widely recognized for its locally produced content and vast sports programming.

The president of Multichice, Elias Masel, welcomed the agreement, observing him as a validation of the company’s strategic direction. “Canal+ offer approves the 40 years of Multichice track record and our convincing continental growth strategy. It is rewarding to note that foreign investors share our opinion that South Africa and Africa remain interesting growth markets,” he said.

In accordance with the transmission regulations of South Africa, which limited the foreign property of the 20%transmission licenses, Multichice has set up a separate entity called the Licencoco. This entity will operate independently to manage national transmission licenses.

The Commission for Competition of the country had previously approved the agreement on the condition that Canal+ undertakes to invest in local content and to promote South African productions on the global scene.

With the agreement now almost completed, analysts in the sector provide for intensified competition and greater investments in African narrative, infrastructure and digital media platforms.