{"id":609971,"date":"2025-09-07T15:58:38","date_gmt":"2025-09-07T13:58:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/?p=609971"},"modified":"2025-09-07T15:59:30","modified_gmt":"2025-09-07T13:59:30","slug":"multichoice-ceo-says-change-is-coming","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/broadcasting\/609971-multichoice-ceo-says-change-is-coming.html","title":{"rendered":"MultiChoice CEO says change is coming"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>MultiChoice Group CEO Calvo Mawela says the company will continue to adapt as the global video entertainment landscape shifts, thanks to the rise of streaming services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhile staying true to delivering the values that have always defined us, we are taking a hard look at what needs to change,\u201d Mawela said in the company\u2019s most recent annual report.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe are committed to finding sustainable solutions that will position us to meet the needs of an evolving market.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Mawela became group chief executive of South Africa\u2019s pay-TV giant as the global industry faced significant challenges with changing user preferences and a shift towards streaming services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He joined MultiChoice in 2007 as an executive. By 2013, he was appointed to oversee stakeholder and regulatory affairs for MultiChoice South Africa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Four years later, he ascended to the role of chief executive of MultiChoice South Africa, where he oversaw MultiChoice South Africa and DStv Media Sales.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In October 2018, shortly before MultiChoice Group\u2019s JSE listing, Mawela was appointed as the company\u2019s chief executive officer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Mawela faced the challenging task of steering MultiChoice, and therefore, DStv, through its most difficult period to date.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In his most recent letter to shareholders, Mawela said the last financial year has been one of trials and tribulations. Still, he is looking forward to a future full of possibilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cOur business has been tested in ways we could not have predicted, but we remained resolute in confronting obstacles head-on,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cOur challenges served as a reminder of the importance of adaptability, teamwork and an unwavering commitment to our mission of building Africa\u2019s entertainment platform of choice.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He said disastrous economic conditions and unfavourable video market dynamics meant that their video subscription businesses performed below expectations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The ongoing cost-of-living crisis has also resulted in DStv increasingly being squeezed out of household budgets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAgainst this background, our numbers do not reflect the growth ambitions we set forth at the start of the year,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cHowever, they tell a story of perseverance and an organisation determined to endure through turbulent times.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Focusing on what is within their control<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\" src=\"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/DStv-Extra-Stream-two-iPads-streaming.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-586975\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/DStv-Extra-Stream-two-iPads-streaming.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/DStv-Extra-Stream-two-iPads-streaming-600x338.jpg 600w, https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/DStv-Extra-Stream-two-iPads-streaming-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Mawela said in the year ahead, MultiChoice will be looking to do the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Focus on what is within their control<\/strong> \u2014 Inflationary pricing discipline, targeted topline initiatives, focused subsidy and marketing spend, and cash flow management are all critical levers.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Ensure the cost base is fit for purpose<\/strong> \u2014 Continue to drive operational efficiencies as this is critical to managing covenant, solvency and liquidity risks, ensuring long-term sustainability and delivering required returns.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Drive relentless execution against targets<\/strong> \u2014 Regularly review performance against operational targets suitably geared towards customer and shareholder value creation, and help reignite innovation and re-positioning of their service offerings.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Step-up anti-piracy efforts<\/strong> \u2014 Elevate the risk across all business segments, increase investment in countermeasures through Irdeto, benchmark best practices against peers, and institute a dedicated cross-functional anti-piracy forum to measure progress.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Enhancing workforce capabilities<\/strong> \u2014 Provide training and resources to equip teams with the skills and tools they need to drive performance.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Strengthening partnerships<\/strong> \u2014 Collaborate more effectively with suppliers, customers and stakeholders to foster resilience and stability across our operations.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThese efforts are part of a broader plan to restore our operational and financial performance, and to position MultiChoice for sustainable growth in a rapidly evolving market,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cSome of these measures will take time to yield their full impact, but early indicators show promise, and we are resolute in staying the course.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Mawela said they continue to witness profound changes in the video entertainment industry and the competitive environment in which they operate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Streaming services and other global media companies, such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, YouTube, Disney+, and Apple TV+, are threatening the sustainability of traditional broadcasters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These changes are forcing companies like MultiChoice to embrace change and reinvent themselves to remain relevant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe have made critical strides in optimising our operations, rethinking some elements of our strategy and ensuring that we are laying the groundwork for a sustainable and prosperous future,\u201d Mawela said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He said that although the road ahead may present challenges, it was also full of possibilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe are navigating this chapter with a focus on rebuilding momentum and laying the foundation for a brighter, more resilient future.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Mawela said they look forward to closing the Canal+ transaction, not only for the benefit of shareholders, but also for the viewing public and the multiple industries that depend on MultiChoice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On 23 July, the Competition Tribunal <a href=\"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/business\/603719-r55-billion-multichoice-takeover-deal-clears-big-hurdle.html\">approved the acquisition of MultiChoice<\/a> by French media conglomerate Groupe Canal+, with conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In a combined statement, the companies said they remain on track to complete the transaction within the announced timelines, and before the long-stop date of 8 October 2025.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>MultiChoice Group CEO Calvo Mawela says the company was taking a hard look at what needs to change to ensure it finds sustainable solutions to global video entertainment market shifts.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":568316,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[24],"tags":[39088,96408,24196,96407,85,66933,475,2054,2150],"class_list":["post-609971","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-broadcasting","tag-amazon-prime-video","tag-apple-tv-2","tag-calvo-mawela","tag-disney-2","tag-dstv","tag-groupe-canal","tag-multichoice","tag-netflix","tag-youtube"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/609971"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=609971"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/609971\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":609976,"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/609971\/revisions\/609976"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/568316"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=609971"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=609971"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=609971"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}