Ghana’s National Communications Authority (NCA) has ordered MultiChoice Ghana, operator of DStv and GOtv, to suspend services after it defied a government directive to slash subscription fees by 30%.
The deadline passed on August 7, and the regulator now gives MultiChoice 30 days to comply or risk losing its license.
The dispute reflects broader African tensions over pay-TV affordability. Ghana joins Nigeria, Kenya, and others pushing back against price hikes amid high inflation and currency strains.
MultiChoice raised Ghanaian fees by 15% in April with minimal notice, prompting Communications Minister Samuel George to demand steeper cuts. The company called the 30% reduction “not tenable,” citing economic pressures.
MultiChoice Ghana’s Alex Okyere warned a shutdown would jeopardize jobs for staff, installers, and retailers.
The move also complicates French conglomerate Canal+’s bid to acquire MultiChoice, Africa’s largest pay-TV operator. Canal+—controlled by billionaire Vincent Bolloré—already owns 43.5% and secured antitrust approval but awaits final nods in South Africa.
Canal+ CEO Maxime Saada aims to swiftly integrate operations post-acquisition, targeting “synergies” by year-end.
The deal would expand Canal+’s reach against Netflix and Amazon, leveraging MultiChoice’s 22 million subscribers and Showmax streaming. Canal+ faces decisions on Showmax’s future, having invested in African content like Senegal’s Marodi TV to boost local appeal.
For Bolloré, whose empire spans ports, logistics, and media, the acquisition reinforces his decades-long influence over Africa’s digital landscape.
