The South African pay-TV operator MultiChoice Group disclosed that its Nigerian unit, MultiChoice Nigeria, lost 243,000 subscribers on its Digital Satellite Television (DStv) and General Entertainment on Television (GOtv) services from April to September this year.

The company revealed these figures in its Interim Financial Results for the period ending 30 September 2024, which were released on Tuesday.

MultiChoice attributed this decline to Nigeria’s high inflation rate, which exceeds 30%, driven by the rising costs of food, electricity, and fuel, causing many customers to disconnect.

In its financial report for March 2024, MultiChoice had earlier reported an 18% subscriber loss in Nigeria.

The company further reported a 566,000-subscriber loss in the Rest of Africa operations over the past six months, with Zambia and Nigeria contributing the largest shares to this decline.

“With the Rest of Africa business having seen a decline of 803k subscribers in 2H FY24, this rate of decline slowed to 566k in 1H FY25,” stated MultiChoice.

The loss included 298,000 in Zambia and 243,000 in Nigeria, while other markets experienced a minor decline.

Extreme inflation and currency instability have negatively impacted the group’s profits, with MultiChoice Group CEO Calvo Mawela commenting, “We are making good progress in addressing the technical insolvency that resulted from non-cash accounting entries at the end of the last financial year.”

Mawela noted that the group’s net equity position is expected to recover by November.
With regard to Zambia’s losses, the company attributed them to extensive power outages caused by drought, leaving some regions with up to 23 hours of daily outages.

The company also cited competition from streaming services and changes in viewer preferences as pressures on its traditional pay-TV model.

To adapt, MultiChoice invested an additional ZAR1.6 billion in its streaming service Showmax, which reported 50% year-over-year growth.
Mawela added, “Showmax strategically positions the business to actively participate in the streaming revolution as it gains momentum across Africa.”

With some exciting news, Nigerian Grammy Award-winning singer Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun, better known as Wizkid, has caused a stir among music lovers.

The singer is set to release a new song from his Morayo album titled “Dance” on Friday, November 15, 2024. Recall that the singer previously released a song with Brent Faiyaz titled “Piece of My Heart.”

Despite not having been released yet, “Dance” is already popular on social media, particularly on video sites, where fans are performing amazing dance moves for the song.

Wizkid has demonstrated his global talent by transitioning from his superstar and Ayo albums to the Made in Lagos and MLLE period. His next song “Dance,” a timeless Afrobeats song that has fans buzzing even before its release, suggests that he has listened to his followers.

His official DJ, DJ Tunez, has previously hinted about the song during a London party.

See videos of the dance move below

Renowned music producer Michael Collins Ajereh, better known as Don Jazzy, has called on men to prioritise DNA testing as a way to address paternity fraud.

According to Don Jazzy, conducting a DNA test is far more essential than holding a naming ceremony, as it provides clarity on the child’s true parentage.

He expressed his stance on his Instagram story, writing, “DNA test is more important than naming ceremony.”

https://twitter.com/call_me_chisom/status/1855645947310510098?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

This statement has sparked ongoing debate among Nigerians, with many divided over the necessity of DNA tests amidst rising cases of paternity fraud.

Recently, Don Jazzy donated N100 million to the newly formed NGO of social media activist VeryDarkMan, which focuses on community development and improving public schools.

VeryDarkMan had initially raised concerns over the sizeable donation, seeking clarification from Zenith Bank, yet expressed gratitude for the support towards his cause.

In urging men to take DNA testing seriously, Don Jazzy highlights the importance of family honesty and accountability, sparking conversations that could lead to more widespread acceptance of DNA testing in Nigeria.