Brands/Products
Group Tackles Multichoice Nigeria Over Price Reduction in South Africa
By Adedapo Adesanya
A Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) known as Save the Consumers has condemned the 21 per cent subscription price hike by MultiChoice Nigeria on its DStv and GOtv services in the country.
Recall that Multichoice noted that its decision to increase the tariff was to save its operations which was heavily impacted by challenges brought about by the weakening Naira.
However, in South Africa, its home country, the reduced its price by about 38 per cent, which Save the Consumers, in a statement signed by its Executive Director, Mr Aliyu Ilias, said it is not happy about.
Mr Ilias said in Abuja on Sunday that the action was not only insensitive and exploitative but also discriminatory coming less than one year after the company’s May 2024 price hike in Nigeria.
The group called for the immediate reversal of the price hike while compensation be paid to subscribers affected by repeated, unjustified price increases and service deficiencies.
He also called for full compliance with the directives of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) which had asked the company to halt any price increase.
“In South Africa, MultiChoice has lowered fees on various products, added new channels, and introduced features that improve the user experience, while acknowledging the financial pressures faced by South African households.
“This double standard, lowering prices at home while increasing them in Nigeria, amounts to economic discrimination and reinforces long-standing concerns about MultiChoice’s exploitative approach toward the Nigerian market.
“It is indefensible for MultiChoice to cite inflation in Nigeria as justification for the hike while offering consumer-friendly pricing in South Africa,” he argued.
Mr Ilias noted, “This reflects a disturbing double standard, with Nigerian consumers continuing to suffer under a near-monopolistic market structure.”
The executive director alleged that while MultiChoice claimed the price hike was necessary to deliver ‘world-class content’, Nigerian subscribers still faced persistent challenges that remained unaddressed in spite repeated complaints.
He also alleged that South African subscribers benefitted from reduced pricing, such as the “Add Movies” bolt-on slashed by 38 per cent to 49 Rand, alongside additional channels and enhanced streaming features.
Mr llias called on the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) to take decisive steps to foster genuine competition in the pay-TV sector.
“We call on Nigerian consumers to explore alternative platforms and consider boycotting DStv and GOtv until MultiChoice demonstrates genuine respect for their rights.
“The Nigerian market deserves dignity, not exploitation, no company should be allowed to operate above the law or treat Nigerian consumers as second-class subscribers,” he said.
Recall that MultiChoice Nigeria had in a notice, notified its customers of its new price adjustment which took effect from March 1.
MultiChoice Nigeria had cited inflation and the rising costs of operations in Nigeria for a similar subscription price increase effected in May 2024.
With the hike, DStv Premium subscribers now pay N44,500 instead of N37,000 monthly, while the Compact Plus pay N30,000 monthly . The DStv Compact bouquet increased from N15,700 to N19,000 monthly.
The new price for the Confam package is N1,000 monthly, while Yanga is pegged at N6,000 as against initial price of N5,000, DStv-Padi, now cost N4,400 monthly.
Meanwhile, GOtv customers, who formally paid N3,600 now pay N3,900 monthly, while subscribers of GOtv Plus now pay N5,800 instead of the initial N4,850 monthly.
The move led the FCCPC to direct MultiChoice Nigeria to maintain its initial subscription prices until an ongoing investigation into its proposed price adjustment was concluded.
However, it proceeded with the price adjustment which made the FCCPC to institute legal charges against it and its Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Mr John Ugbe, for allegedly defying regulatory directives on subscription price adjustments.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
To make finding the right service provider or reaching the right customer seamless, popular local information portal, Connect Nigeria, has introduced a Quote Request platform.
Connect Nigeria described the new system as “a digital solution designed to make connecting with service providers faster, easier, and more reliable.”
It said the Quote Request was built for consumers who need services quickly and want trusted options without the stress of searching endlessly; and service providers and businesses looking for real, high-intent customers without spending heavily on marketing.
“Whether you need a caterer for an event, a plumber for your home, or a designer for your brand, the platform is designed to connect you with the right people,” Connect Nigeria added.
“By connecting demand directly with supply, the platform creates a more structured and dependable marketplace,” it further stated.
At its core, the Quote Request simplifies the entire process of finding and offering services.
To use the service, users have to submit a request describing the service or product needed, which is then sent to verified vendors on the platform. Interested providers respond within 1–2 days, and users compare offers and choose what works best for their needs and budget.
“Instead of searching for vendors, the vendors come to you, with relevant, tailored responses,” Connect Nigeria explained.
The company expects this new platform to eliminate the stress of endless online searches, delayed or vague responses, and uncertainty about service quality.
As for businesses, it solves poor visibility, inconsistent customer flow, and lost opportunities due to slow response times.
Connect Nigeria Quote Request mobile app is now available on the Google Play Store and Apple App Store.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
An institutional investor, First Ally Capital, has strengthened a leading Nigerian financial technology company, Mathesis Analytics, to scale its proprietary credit decisioning infrastructure.
It made this possible by injecting fresh capital into the firm, which specialises in AI-powered credit decisioning infrastructure, an action that will directly support the growth and scaling of Mathesis’ core mission of providing the intelligence and infrastructure needed to bridge the credit gap for millions of unscored or underscored individuals across Nigeria.
With this investment, Mathesis will enable financial institutions to confidently assess and extend credit to borrowers who lack a formal credit history by leveraging an expanded pool of alternative behavioural and transactional data.
To date, Mathesis’ systems have supported more than 8 million loans for over 2 million unique borrowers in Nigeria, and the company is actively deploying its infrastructure to establish a growing pan-African footprint.
With the investment from First Ally Capital, Mathesis is well positioned to transform how the credit ecosystem operates, driving financial inclusion in partnership with lenders across the continent.
A significant barrier to credit access in Nigeria, which prides itself on being Africa’s largest economy, is data fragmentation. Borrowers frequently build positive financial behaviours across multiple digital platforms by repaying microfinance loans, saving through fintech wallets, or servicing Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) facilities.
However, under traditional credit infrastructure, these achievements remain invisible to new lenders.
Mathesis addresses this challenge through the concept of Personal Equity—the quantified expression of an individual’s financial behaviour aggregated across every institution with which they have transacted.
By translating these disparate signals into a precise, portable measure of creditworthiness, Mathesis creates a comprehensive credit identity that reflects the full breadth of a person’s financial life.
“True financial inclusion cannot be achieved in a vacuum; it requires structural collaboration in which lenders and fintech companies work as partners within the ecosystem.
“This investment from First Ally Capital validates our approach to reshaping credit infrastructure. By quantifying Personal Equity, we empower lenders to safely look beyond the constraints of formal credit histories and recognise a borrower’s true creditworthiness. This capital enables us to accelerate our pan-African expansion while maintaining the robust, institutional-grade infrastructure our partners rely on,” the chief executive of Mathesis Analytics, Winston Osuchukwu, stated.
On his part, the chief executive of First Ally Capital, Mr Ebenezer Olufowose, said, “At First Ally Capital, we pride ourselves on being a one-stop destination for financial solutions, offering a diverse portfolio of services ranging from investment banking and asset management to trusteeship, inclusive banking, and real estate.
“Our investment in Mathesis Analytics reflects our strong belief in the company’s vision and our commitment to supporting forward-thinking enterprises that deliver excellence.”
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
The chief executive of Canal+ Africa, Mr David Mignot, has disclosed that MultiChoice is now fully integrated into the media group.
Mr Mignot disclosed this via a statement issued on Thursday, noting that this development marks a new phase in the evolution of one of Africa’s leading pay television operators.
He noted that the integration positions MultiChoice within a global media organisation with an extensive international footprint.
“MultiChoice is now a full subsidiary of a truly international media group operating in 70 countries. The group was founded in France, is listed in London and Johannesburg, and has a strong African presence with operations in more than 45 countries,” Mr Mignot said.
The statement underscores the scale of the combined business, highlighting Canal+’s global reach alongside its significant investments across Africa.
The completion of the transaction is expected to strengthen MultiChoice’s position in the African media and entertainment market by giving it access to the broader resources, expertise and international capabilities of the Canal+ Group, while reinforcing the group’s commitment to the continent.
MultiChoice operates across sub-Saharan Africa through platforms including DStv and GOtv, serving millions of subscribers with entertainment, sports and news content.
