The decision to discontinue Showmax was approved by the platform’s board and has already been communicated to subscribers. It forms part of a broader efficiency and cost-cutting strategy after Canal+ completed its takeover of MultiChoice Group, bringing an end to what was once Africa’s most ambitious attempt to compete with global streaming giants.
According to the company, Showmax will be gradually wound down over the coming months, although a final shutdown date has not yet been announced as legal and regulatory processes tied to the acquisition are still being finalised.
“This decision reflects our focus on strengthening our overall digital offering and ensuring long-term sustainability in an increasingly competitive streaming environment,” the company said in a message to customers.
Subscribers were also assured that the service will continue to operate for now, and that no immediate action is required from users.
Addressing concerns about existing subscriptions and content libraries, MultiChoice told TechCabal that plans are underway to manage the transition.
“The team is currently working on a subscriber and content migration plan. We will communicate this with you in the next few weeks.”
Major Restructuring Move
The closure of Showmax marks the first major restructuring step since Canal+ finalized its long-anticipated takeover of MultiChoice in September. Over several years, the French broadcaster gradually increased its stake in the South African company before moving to acquire full control in a deal valued at about R46 billion (approximately $2.7 billion).
Canal+ pursued the acquisition on the belief that Africa remains one of the world’s last major growth markets for television and streaming services. The combined group now serves more than 40 million subscribers across 70 countries, giving Canal+ a powerful presence in a region where pay-TV penetration remains relatively low.
A Bold Experiment That Struggled to Scale
Launched in 2015, Showmax was MultiChoice’s answer to international streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. The platform built early momentum by blending global television series with locally produced African content, positioning itself as the continent’s best shot at building a homegrown streaming powerhouse.
However, sustaining the platform proved difficult.
In the three years leading up to the Canal+ takeover, Showmax accumulated losses of about €370 million ($428.9 million). Even after a major relaunch in 2024, the platform continued to struggle financially.
MultiChoice’s last annual results before the acquisition showed trading losses widening despite declining revenues, underscoring the challenges of running a profitable streaming service in Africa’s price-sensitive markets.
A Costly Relaunch
In early 2024, MultiChoice partnered with NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast, to relaunch Showmax using the advanced technology powering the American streaming platform Peacock.
The partners injected $309 million in new equity, hoping the upgraded platform and expanded slate of original productions would accelerate subscriber growth and position Showmax as a stronger competitor in Africa’s evolving streaming market.
Despite the investment, the service struggled to achieve profitability—ultimately leading to the decision to bring the experiment to an end.
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