Canal+ will deploy its over-the-top streaming platform, the Canal+ app, across MultiChoice territories including South Africa to replace the loss-making Showmax service, CEO Maxime Saada has announced.
Canal+
The move follows MultiChoice’s March 5 declaration to shut down Showmax, with Canal+ assuring subscribers of seamless transition without service interruptions.
Saada described Showmax as a “severely loss-making activity” that showed no recovery path despite heavy investments, stating Canal+ quickly reached agreement with Comcast for immediate closure.
Showmax recorded cumulative losses of R8.7 billion over three years – R1.2 billion in 2023, R2.6 billion in 2024, and R4.9 billion in 2025 – far exceeding MultiChoice projections despite positioning it as Africa’s streaming growth engine.
Canal+ Africa CEO David Mignot said all Showmax content and features will migrate to DStv Stream, leveraging MultiChoice’s hybrid DTH-OTT model where satellite subscribers retain streaming access.
Unlike U.S. markets experiencing rapid cord-cutting, Canal+ noted slower decay in African DTH base due to integrated platform access already successfully deployed in French-speaking Africa.
The closure involves no retrenchments, with MultiChoice supporting affected employees through transition options. Showmax subscribers received assurances of uninterrupted streaming, with detailed migration timelines to follow.
Saada and Mignot had previously flagged Showmax’s commercial failure, with the CEO calling it unsurprising given MultiChoice’s excessive marketing and content spending.
Canal+ positions the Canal+ app rollout as delivering superior streaming experience across 50 million+ MultiChoice households, combining local content strength with global scale in competitive African streaming market dominated by Netflix and local players.
