Brands/Products
Canal+ Raises Buyout Offer for MultiChoice
By Adedapo Adesanya
French media company, Canal+, has made a mandatory offer to buy all the shares of South African broadcaster, MultiChoice, for around 55 billion Rand ($2.9 billion), a statement on Monday confirmed this.
The new offer price is almost 67 per cent higher than the MultiChoice share price just before its first offer of 105 Rand per share was rebuffed by the Multichoice board as too low in February.
The deal, if achieved, would create a pan-African broadcasting powerhouse able to put African content to global audiences as well as compete on an international scale.
The French media company has a broad reach in French-speaking African nations, while MultiChoice has a stronger presence in English-speaking countries, including South Africa, Nigeria and Kenya. Last month, it acquired a stake in Senegalese internet broadcaster, Marodi.
MultiChoice also chose Standard Bank as an independent expert to give an opinion on the offer, agreeing to cooperate in ensuring its implementation.
Canal+ operates in 50 countries across Europe, Africa and Asia, directly serving 8 million customers in Africa. It had about 25 million subscribers as of its 2023 year, while MultiChoice had 23.5 million. Both have serious ambitions for Africa and have acknowledged that scale is necessary to take on US giants such as Disney and Netflix.
“Canal+’s ambition is to build a global entertainment leader, with Africa at its heart, combining scale, complementary geographies, integrated and international reach with strong local roots, that will support the commercial development of Africa’s sporting and cultural industries and take leading and authentic African stories to a global audience,” it said on Monday.
“This long-term vision has its foundation in Canal+’s extensive and successful 30-year history of investing in African creative and sports broadcasting markets.”
Vivendi, the parent company of Canal+, is also currently undertaking a feasibility study for the proposed split of the company into several separately listed entities, first announced in December.
Should a planned European listing proceed, there will be an opportunity for South African investors to become shareholders of the combined entity as part of a secondary inward listing on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE), the company said.
Canal+ added on Monday it understood the imperative of broad-based black economic empowerment, and upon implementation, it intends to support MultiChoice in its continued efforts of transformation of its South African business. This is usually also a condition imposed by SA’s competition regulators, whose approval is required, while a circular for the offer will be released in due course.
Complicating matters had been SA laws that place limitations on foreign ownership of local broadcast licences. This means Canal+ can increase its shareholding in MultiChoice to any level, but its voting rights are limited to a maximum of 20 per cent.
Canal+ also increased its stake in the group to over 35 per cent, which is a threshold that triggers a mandatory offer.
However, given the voting cap, the South African Takeover Regulation Panel was then asked to make a ruling, finding in February that Canal+ must. Following an extension, it was given until 8 April to make its mandatory offer.
MultiChoice has also granted exclusivity to Canal+, which entails not engaging with other competing parties. However, should a better, unsolicited proposal be received, Canal+ will have the opportunity to revise its offer.
“Following constructive engagement with MultiChoice, we are pleased to have issued a joint firm intention announcement to make an offer today, representing a significant premium for the shareholders of MultiChoice,” Canal+ chair and CEO Maxime Saada said in a statement.
“Canal+ is confident in making this offer, at a level which far exceeds the minimum required by regulation, due to the incredible future we believe that Canal+ and MultiChoice can build together,” he said.
“We are excited about these opportunities, which will be supported by further investment in technology, including the continued offering of a leading satellite service, and rolling out more innovative streaming products.”
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The self-service channels of Stanbic IBTC Pension Managers designed to streamline processes and provide easy access to pension management services have been re-introduced.
The subsidiary of Stanbic IBTC Holdings Plc said it brought back the options as part of its commitment to enhancing customer experience by providing innovative solutions, putting them in control of their financial future.
The chief executive of Stanbic IBTC Pension Managers, Mr Olumide Oyetan, reiterated the firm’s dedication to improving pension management by enhancing ease and efficiency.
“By getting acquainted with and utilising these options to their fullest, customers can enjoy the benefits of flexibility and independence,” he stated.
Mr Oyetan further underscored the organisation’s commitment to leveraging technology to improve pension management for customers, ensuring the availability of the self-service channels 24/7 for checking account balances, updating personal details, or making enquiries seamlessly.
“These self-service channels empower customers to take control of their experience as we aim to meet and exceed their expectations through these user-friendly platforms,” he stated.
Business Post reports that one of such channels is MyPension Portal, accessible via the company’s website www.stanbicibtcpension.com.
It offers customers a user-friendly platform to manage their pension details effortlessly. This portal allows for easy updates of personal information, requests for reference letters to submit at schools and embassies, and the ability to switch between investment funds.
It also provides the convenience of accessing and requesting statements at any time, relieving customers of unnecessary stress and paperwork.
In addition, the Stanbic IBTC Pension Managers module on the Mobile App, available for download on Google Play Store and App Store, enables users to view their pension account balance, track contributions and investment performance, monitor recent transactions and contributions, and receive alerts for important pension account updates.
For those who prefer SMS access, customers can simply text “Help” to the shortcode 30388 from their registered mobile phone to receive instructions on performing various tasks via SMS.
The company has also streamlined the process for using contact numbers, allowing customers to connect to the Stanbic IBTC Pension Managers’ Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system for comprehensive guidance on a wide range of enquiries and transactions.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
A report released by Salesforce has revealed that about $1.2 trillion was used for shopping across the globe during the just-concluded Christmas and New Year holidays.
It was stated that the United States accounted for $282 billion, with data based on an analysis of 1.5 billion shoppers and 1.6 trillion page views across the Salesforce Platform.
The report indicates that the better-than-expected holiday shopping season was powered by surges in mobile and social commerce alongside increased consumer spending after months of saving in the first half of 2024.
However, shoppers have already sent back $122 billion in merchandise, with consumers and retailers leaning into the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and agents to enhance holiday shopping experiences through product recommendations and personalised order support, influencing $229 billion – or 19 per cent – of all online orders.
“Retailers had a robust holiday season, but a 28% rise in the rate of returns compared to last year is a cause for some concern,” said Caila Schwartz, Director of Consumer Insights at Salesforce. “Retailers who have embraced AI and agents are already seeing the benefits, but these tools will be even more critical in the new year as retailers aim to minimise revenue losses on returns and reengage with shoppers.”
It was gathered that about $229 billion of global online sales were influenced by AI and agents in the form of product recommendations, targeted offers, and conversational customer service support, with 19 per cent of holiday purchases influenced by consumers engaging with AI and agents, a 6 per cent increase from 2023.
In addition, shoppers used AI- and agent-powered chat for customer service 42 per cent more than they did during the 2023 holiday season, and over $122 billion of global purchases have already been returned, up 28 per cent from last year.
It was noted that this increase is partially due to trending consumer behaviours like “try-on hauls” and bracketing (buying an extra size above and below your standard size).
Salesforce projects that retailers will likely see this number grow to $133 billion – presenting an important opportunity for brands to use agents to make the returns process easier and more tailored to specific customer needs.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
A new Public Relations (PR) agency, FreshSight Communications, has promised to offer tailored services to its clients, as it joins the highly competitive industry.
According to the co-founder of the company, Mr Justice Mmadubugwu, FreshSight Communications will provide top-notch PR services tailored to meet the unique needs of businesses, organisations, and individuals seeking to amplify their brand presence and reputation.
He also expressed confidence in working with media partners to share compelling stories, promote innovative ideas, and spark important discussions that affect society.
“We are excited to introduce FreshSight Communications to the Nigerian market.
“Our goal is to become the leading PR agency for businesses seeking to establish strong relationships with their target audiences and stakeholders,” Mr Mmadubugwu stated.
FreshSight Communications said its services include media relations and crisis communications; brand management and reputation enhancement; digital PR and social media management; event management and planning; content creation and copywriting; and artist/influencers management.
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