MultiChoice Group continues to make an impact across Africa

MultiChoice contributed R11.2bn in taxes and spent R446m on CSI initiatives.

MultiChoice Group (https://MultiChoice.com) today published its Social Impact Report which details how Africa’s leading entertainment company continues to make a meaningful difference in the communities in which it operates. The group operates in 50 countries across Africa.

The report covers initiatives implemented which had a significant impact on indivduals, businesses, non-profit organisations and companies across the continent. These include using the DStv platform for social good, being connected and in touch with communities, creating opportunities, supporting and growing entrepreneurs, diversity, growing the continent’s talent pipeline and telling African stories.

MultiChoice contributed R11.2bn in taxes and spent R446m on CSI initiatives.

“Enriching lives is part of our DNA - we strive to make a positive impact across the African continent. We partner with stakeholders on various initiatives sharing our experience and knowledge to deliver sustainable outcomes. Our focus is to empower our beneficiaries to succeed and play their role in the growth of their communities and our continent,” says Calvo Mawela, MultiChoice Group CEO.

The group reaches more than 20 million households and has used its DStv and GOtv platforms to raise awareness and mobilise resources to address social challenges. Last year, it partnered with the United Nations and World Health Organisation, the national health and education departments to address the disruption to education during the pandemic, the spread of misinformation (around COVID-19 and COVID-19 vaccinations) and the fight against gender-based violence (GBV). The total value of airtime allocated for social good was R271 million.

Creating employment opportunities for the youth was another focus area. This included collaborating with the Youth Employment Service (YES) in South Africa, which saw 300 employment opportunities created; providing bursaries, internships and learnerships, and offering training to young Nigerians interested in tech through the  Sabiman and Canvasser schemes. The Canvasser scheme currently employs 3,205 young adults.

Small businesses are the lifeblood of African economies and MultiChoice is committed to support the growth and development of entrepreneurs. It has created small businesses and throusands of jobs in the decoder and hardware installation business. There are about 2,800 independent service providers (agencies) and more than 6,000 installers across Africa.

The group also creates opportunities for entrepreneurs in South Africa through its Innovation Fund and preferential procument. Last year, it spent R11.5bn on local suppliers, R2.3bn on suppliers that are at least 30% black women-owned, R3.3bn on small and medium enterprises and R615 million on suppliers that are 51% black youth-owned.

MultiChoice invests siginificantly in local content and is committed to tell African stories. Last year it spent 42% of the group’s general entertainment spend on local content and produced 19% more local content than last year. The group invests in local-language movies, series, telenovelas, sitcoms, soap operas, sports broadcasts and magazine shows. It has programming in 41 languages and 15 dedicated local content channels in 10 markets. Its local content library now exceeds 62 000 hours.

Through the MultiChoice Talent Factory (MTF), MultiChoice contributes to growing the talent pipeline in the industry. The MTF has trained 206 students over the past six years and 62 MTF graduates now own their own production companies. 74 interns from 14 countries across Africa created four movies, 16 short films and 14 Public Service Announcements for the United Nations’ #PLEDGETOPAUSE campaign and the World Health Organization’s educational campaign on COVID-19.

MultiChoice continues support and promote diversity as well as uplift  women in the workplace. The Group employs 7 028 employees from 81 nationalities, 47% of which are women and 53% are men.

To learn more about all the development programmes and socio-economic investments, as well as the stories of the people who have benefitted from this extensive support, read about it in the Group’s 2021 Social Report at https://bit.ly/3zM42Ru

About MultiChoice Group:

MultiChoice Group (MCG), which listed in the Main Board of the JSE on 27 February 2019, is one of the fastest-growing video entertainment providers globally, delivering entertainment products and services to 20.1m households across 50 countries on the African continent. Its track record of more than 30 years is reflective of a commitment to provide audiences with only the best local, sport and international content.

MCG’s strong partnerships with distributors, installers and telecommunication companies, along with its well-established payment solutions, competitive pricing and choice of viewership packages continue to secure its place in the global market, while also providing solutions unique to the African market.

Its direct-to-home (DTH), digital terrestrial television (DTT) and over-the-top (OTT) solutions enable the business to stay relevant and aligned to changing consumer habits while capturing new markets.

Content is at the very core of the business. MCG aims to deliver quality content anywhere, anytime and on any device through a comprehensive video entertainment offering at different price points. As pioneers in African video entertainment, MCG plays an important role in making information and entertainment easily accessible to Africans.

MCG aims to secure content rights in a manner that is cost-effective and reflective of the diversity of its audiences. Its substantial portfolio includes award-winning local content (a key differentiator in its service offering), a leading sports offering (including production capabilities) and access to international content, which is all shared on the group’s platforms: DStv, GOtv, Showmax, M-Net and SuperSport.

MCG has superior technology capability through the security solutions that Irdeto, its technology company, brings to the group. These solutions enable MultiChoice to protect its investment, create new offerings and combat cybercrime. With 50 years’ expertise in software security, Irdeto’s software security solutions and cyber services protect over 5bn devices and applications for some of the world’s best brands.

Cassien Tribunal Aungane, Editor