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MultiChoice Subscriber Base Down 8% to 14.5m, Showmax Active Customers up 44%

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MultiChoice Subscriber Base

By Aduragbemi Omiyale

Worsening macroeconomic and consumer conditions in Africa have continued to have a negative impact on companies operating on the continent, with a prominent pay-TV firm, MultiChoice Group, losing about 8 per cent of its subscriber base in one year.

Details of its financial statements for the 2025 fiscal year ended March 31, 2025, showed that MultiChoice subscriber base went down to 14.5 million from 14.9 million in the previous year, driven by a weak consumer environment across markets as well as preference for alternatives.

However, despite these headwinds, the organisation delivered ZAR3.7 billion in cost savings, well ahead of the revised ZAR2.5 billion target set at the interim stage and almost double the ZAR1.9 billion saved in FY24.

The company said a disciplined approach to inflationary pricing, with increases of 5.7 per cent in South Africa and an average of 31 per cent in local currency in Rest of Africa, also helped to mitigate the impact of subscriber losses and supported 1 per cent year-on-year (YoY) organic revenue growth, influenced by pricing and new product growth.

On a reported basis, revenues declined by 9 per cent to ZAR50.8 billion, primarily due to an 11 per cent drop in subscription revenue, as well as the impact of currency headwinds, and the deconsolidation of the NMSIS insurance business from December 2024.

Trading profit increased by 20 per cent before accounting for the investment in Showmax, the impact of currency weakness and M&A activity.

After incorporating Showmax’s trading losses and ZAR5.2 billion in foreign currency revenue losses, and partially offset by the ZAR3.7 billion in cost savings, trading profit on a reported basis declined to ZAR4.0 billion.

In the period under review, MultiChoice performed well in its video entertainment segment, with new products and services delivering strong growth.

It grew its revenue from DStv Internet by 85 per cent, as KingMakers delivered a 76 per cent growth in constant currency and DStv Stream rose by 48 per cent, with Showmax active paying customers increasing by 44 per cent.

Importantly, the group returned to a positive equity position through a combination of cost savings, a stabilisation in currencies, and the accounting gain on the sale of 60 per cent of its shareholding in its insurance business (NMSIS) to Sanlam.

The chief executive of MultiChoice Group, Mr Calvo Mawela, while commenting on the results, said, “Our performance reflects both the challenges we’ve faced and the resilience of our teams.

“While macroeconomic pressures and currency volatility have weighed on our results, our disciplined execution, cost management and investment in new long-term growth opportunities position us well for the future.

“We remain focused on being Africa’s entertainment platform of choice. Our strategy is shaped by developments in our industry such as changes in technology which are driving shifts in consumer behaviour, as well as the impact of a rise in piracy, streaming services, and social media.”

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Nigeria Must Accelerate Adoption of Renewable Energy Solutions—JMG

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JMG Renewable Energy Solutions

By Modupe Gbadeyanka

A leading provider of integrated electromechanical solutions in Nigeria, JMG Limited, recently showcased real-world impact of its solar and hybrid energy solutions across key sectors of the economy to members of the media.

At the media tour held at JMG’s head office in Lagos, the Chief Commercial Officer of JMG, Mr Rabih Jammal, stressed the urgent need for Nigeria to accelerate its adoption of renewable energy solutions.

“Clean energy is no longer a future concept – it is happening now – and it is working. At JMG, we are not just advocating for renewables; we are delivering them.

“From our 150-kilowatt solar installation at our Victoria Island head office to multiple large-scale deployments nationwide, we have proven that clean energy works technically, commercially and financially,” he said at the event hosted to commemorate the International Day of Clean Energy.

According to him, JMG’s solar and hybrid projects have helped clients save millions of naira in diesel costs, improve energy reliability and significantly reduce carbon emissions.

“As more countries move toward sustainable solutions, clean energy has become an economic imperative for Nigeria. It enhances competitiveness, lowers operating costs and enables communities. This is only the beginning as we will continue to invest in solar solutions, technology, partnerships and people to scale clean energy across the country,” he added.

Also speaking, the Head of Marketing at JMG, Ms Oluwatomi Faniran, described clean energy as a core responsibility embedded in the company’s business strategy.

“At JMG, clean energy is more than technology; it is a responsibility. Our track record speaks for itself,” Ms Faniran said, highlighting the successful deployment of solar hybrid systems at NIPCO fuel stations, the powering of a government state house, and energy-efficient solutions delivered at facilities such as Nourdm Global and Rack Centre.

With decades of experience delivering solutions that enhance comfort, safety and efficiency across residential, commercial and industrial spaces, JMG operates across critical business units including conventional and renewable power, electrical infrastructure, HVAC systems, elevators and escalators, air compressors and energy-efficient technologies. Its operations are backed by internationally recognised ISO certifications in quality management, health and safety, and environmental sustainability.

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Paystack Launches Holding Company The Stack Group

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The Stack Group

By Adedapo Adesanya

Top payment solutions company, Paystack, has launched a holding company, known as The Stack Group (TSG), in its bid to aggregate the tech-focused family of brands connected with the Paystack brand.

TSG founding shareholders include Stripe, Shola Akinlade (Founder and CEO of Paystack), and existing Paystack employees. The agreements establishing TSG as the parent holding company were signed in October 2025, and are subject to the requisite regulatory approvals.

The announcement comes as Paystack celebrates its 10-year anniversary in January 2026.

Since its acquisition by Stripe in 2020, Paystack has grown its payment volume by 12x and is licensed and operational in Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa, with regulatory approvals for Egypt and Rwanda, representing 46 per cent of Africa’s GDP, the company said in a press statement.

The statement added that this product-first approach to pan-African growth has led to Paystack becoming profitable at the group level.

The development follows the recent launch of Paystack MFB in Nigeria after it acquired Ladder Microfinance Bank in its push into consumer products.

The company noted that as a standalone bank, Paystack MFB allows the group to internalise core financial rails and provide the banking and credit infrastructure required by over 300,000 Nigerian merchants.

“These capabilities enable the development of elegant, compliant, and much-needed end-to-end money-movement solutions and will continue to power the company’s mission of building technology solutions for Africa, to power African ambition,” parts of the statement added.

TSG will provide a corporate umbrella for a family of complementary brands that are solving Africa-specific challenges, while remaining operationally independent. At the outset, TSG will include merchant payments solution, Paystack, its controversial consumer payments product, Zap, the recently launched Paystack Microfinance Bank and TSG Labs, which will serve as hub for  emerging technologies and building new products both within and beyond financial technology.

According to Mr Akinlade, “The launch of TSG signals a larger scope of ambition for us and sets the tone for the next decade of our company. Having worked with thousands of companies across the continent since 2016, it is clear that there are significant opportunities to support businesses beyond payments, and TSG enables us to address the challenges African companies face.”

“Thank you to the Stripe team for their continued belief in Africa’s potential, and our ability to create transformative technology companies for the continent, and beyond,” he added.

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Global Money Exchange Unveils Global Pay App

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Comviva and Global Money Exchange Leadership

By Modupe Gbadeyanka

A new mobile application powered by Comviva’s mobiquity Pay platform known as Global Pay has been launched by Oman’s leading money exchange company, Global Money Exchange Co. LLC (GMEC).

The unveiling aligns with Oman’s national digital transformation vision and reinforces GMEC’s commitment to delivering innovative, secure, and inclusive digital financial solutions for daily life.

“The Global Pay App enables secure and efficient local and international payment transactions,” the Chairman of Global Money Exchange said, Mr Sheikh Sulaiman Abdulmalik Abdullah Al Khalili, stated.

He added that the platform is PCI-DSS certified, underscoring GMEC’s commitment to the highest standards of payment security and data protection, expressing confidence that “the mobile application will be widely used by the Omani Nationals and expatriates.”

The Managing Director of Global Money Exchange, Mr Subromoniyan K S, disclosed that “customers can conveniently pay utility bills and educational fees without the need for a bank account, thereby supporting broader financial inclusion.”

He further noted that the platform enables merchants to accept QR-based payments from customers of any bank or service provider in Oman, ensuring full interoperability across the payment’s ecosystem.

“The Global Pay app is supported by a comprehensive customer support framework. Customers can visit any of our branches across Oman for assistance or contact a dedicated customer support helpline for prompt resolution of queries,” the General Manager of Global Money Exchange, Mr Sonam Dorje, said.

On his part, the chief executive of Comviva, Mr Rajesh Chandiramani, said, “We are delighted to accelerate Global Money Exchange’s digital transformation journey with mobiquity® Pay- our scalable, cloud-ready digital payments platform built to support rapid growth and seamless expansion. Global Pay exemplifies our commitment to empowering financial institutions across the Middle East to deliver world-class digital experiences that drive financial inclusion.”

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