MultiChoice South Africa CEO upbeat about Showmax prospects

MultiChoice South Africa CEO Byron du Plessis says Africa provides unrivalled growth opportunities and that Showmax is well-positioned to capitalise from them.

His comments come amidst the first anniversary of Showmax’s relaunch in partnership with Comcast’s NBCUniversal and Sky.

Showmax underwent a rebrand, upgraded onto Comcast’s Peacock app, and relaunched with a better content slate.

The relaunch was a success and helped the platform to grow its like-for-like paying subscriber base by 50%.

It was named Best Streaming Network at the National Film and TV Awards South Africa and Entertainment App of the Year at the Stuff App Awards.

Stuff said the new Showmax app offered improved stability, increased searchability, and more content in general.

One of Showmax’s most significant value propositions is local content. Its relationship with MultiChoice gives it an edge in this department.

Unlike many competing streaming platforms, it upped its investment in local content with 97 Showmax Originals.

The investment paid off, with Showmax recording the most winners at the National Film and TV Awards South Africa.

It was also recognised at the Behind the Scenes Awards and the SAFTAs, pointing to quality local content.

Despite intense international competition, 9 out of 10 of Showmax’s most-streamed titles since relaunch have been local.

Local content is a key ingredient in Showmax’s strategy to become the leading video streaming platform in Africa.

In 2024, the company said it plans to generate $1 billion within the next five years with its Showmax 2.0 service. To achieve that, it needs to achieve rapid growth.

The company is off to a good start. In its latest results, MultiChoice announced that Showmax 2.0 was launched across 44 markets in sub-Saharan Africa.

Almost 100% of the eligible customer base was migrated to the new Showmax platform, and 88% of those migrated had reactivated their accounts in seven weeks.

MultiChoice South Africa chief executive Byron du Plessis is upbeat about the streaming service in Africa.

“Africa is a dynamic, challenging environment that remains an unrivalled growth opportunity, with the fastest-growing population globally and rising connectivity,” he said.

“Showmax is well-positioned to take advantage of these trends through its diverse mix of content.”

It includes best-in-class local content, affordable mobile football products, and the best international content.

Its international content includes movies and TV series from leading international studios like NBCUniversal, HBO, Sky, and Paramount.