MultiChoice CEO Calvo Mawela stated that the company is marketing itself as the “home of local and sport” as a difference in the streaming industry.
Mawela spoke with Fifi Peters of CNBC Africa during the World Economic Forum’s annual gathering in Davos.
Streaming services such as Netflix, Disney+, and Apple TV+ are increasing their competition for MultiChoice.
Amazon is also scheduled to introduce a marketplace and its Amazon Prime membership programme in South Africa this year, adding to the streaming market’s competitiveness.
Mawela stated that the development of streaming services in South Africa is being disrupted by technology.
People are abandoning their pricey satellite DStv subscriptions in favour of more economical streaming options.
“Once you are disrupted by technology, you must follow suit. If you stay and don’t move with technological changes, you are going to suffer in the end,” he said.
Showmax is MultiChoice’s response to Netflix, Disney+, and Amazon Prime, which Mawela claims has improved dramatically in recent years.
“Showmax has improved a lot. It is more user-friendly, and the look and feel is much better,” he remarked.
The amount of original content created by Showmax has also grown dramatically throughout the years.
Mawela believes that series like Reyka, which got an Emmy nomination, demonstrate MultiChoice’s worldwide competitiveness.
“Reyka and My Kitchen Rules show that locally produced shows have international appeal,” he said.
“For us, producing local content is a business imperative. People love to watch themselves and their stories on television.
“It also helps us to limit our exposure to foreign currency risk. In Africa, we often experience currency depreciation, and we can get an immediate return by producing content in local currencies.”
The CEO of MultiChoice stated that their unique selling point, which distinguishes them from their competition, is local programming and sports.
“We are positioning ourselves as the home of local and the home of sport in the streaming wars that we are facing,” Mawela added.
Increased investment in local content and sports has contributed to a 50% rise in paying ShowMax subscribers over the previous year.
Mawela is optimistic about their streaming chances, stating that their streaming goods continue to be well received.
“Competition is good for us. It keeps us on our toes, makes us more efficient, and makes us more creative,” he explained.
“We embrace competition and believe we remain well positioned to be the leading platform in Africa.”
