The new owner of DStv, French media giant Canal+, has unveiled an ambitious strategy to transform South African-made content into a global export product — a move designed to open fresh revenue streams for MultiChoice, Africa’s leading pay-TV broadcaster.
In an interview with the Sunday Times, David Mignot, CEO of Canal+ Africa, disclosed that the company plans to sell premium content created for DStv’s platforms to international markets through StudioCanal, Canal+’s world-renowned film and TV distribution arm.
“StudioCanal is everywhere… they are the biggest seller of European content worldwide. So they are very open and already organised to sell,” Mignot stated.
From Local Screens to Global Platforms
Mignot said StudioCanal’s vast distribution network will help African-made productions reach global audiences, but emphasized that exported content must meet international quality benchmarks.
He highlighted two standout productions — Shaka Ilembe and Spinners — as prime examples of export-worthy South African storytelling.
Shaka Ilembe, a dramatic retelling of the life of the legendary Zulu king, broke DStv records in June 2023, attracting 3.6 million viewers in its premiere week — the highest in MultiChoice history. The series later became the most awarded production at the 2024 South African Film and Television Awards, holding an 8.9/10 IMDb rating and a 96% audience score on Google Reviews.
The epic production also generated massive local impact, creating over 16,000 jobs and employing 120 artisans to build its historical sets.
Spinners, a drama following a teenager’s attempt to escape gang life through the underground world of motorsport, has also gained international attention for its gripping realism and strong narrative.
MultiChoice’s Global Push Gets a Lift
While MultiChoice Studios has previously licensed content abroad, the integration with StudioCanal offers a new scale of opportunity. StudioCanal invests about €200 million (R4.05 billion) annually in film and TV projects, dwarfing MultiChoice’s R20.4 billion yearly content spend in scope and global reach.
Industry watchers believe Canal+ will leverage South Africa’s strong creative talent and lower production costs to create world-class content at competitive prices — then resell it profitably in global markets with stronger currencies and higher audience demand for international stories.
From Hyper-Local to Global Appeal
In recent years, MultiChoice has focused on hyper-local content to serve African audiences more directly. Its revamped Showmax 2.0 platform doubled down on Africa by withdrawing from non-African countries, ending services in Europe, North America, Australia, and New Zealand.
This new plan, however, blends that local-first focus with a global expansion mindset — ensuring African stories not only resonate at home but also earn worldwide recognition and revenue.
Rising Competition from Global Streamers
Canal+’s global vision also comes amid fierce competition from Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, both of which have invested heavily in South African productions. Netflix’s Oscar-winning documentary My Octopus Teacher and the chart-topping true-crime series Beauty and the Bester have proven that South African content can capture global audiences.
Meanwhile, Netflix’s One Piece, filmed in Cape Town, cost a staggering $48.7 million (R897 million) — the most expensive production in African history. Though Amazon scaled back local productions in 2024, it continues filming major projects like The Terminal List, starring Chris Pratt.
A New Dawn for African Storytelling
With Canal+’s acquisition of MultiChoice and the global reach of StudioCanal, industry observers say a new era of opportunity is opening for African creators. DStv’s biggest productions — once limited to regional screens — could soon compete head-to-head with global streaming giants.
This strategic pivot reinforces Africa’s position not just as a consumer of global content but as a creative powerhouse exporting its stories, talent, and culture to the world.
French media group Canal+, the new owner of DStv, plans to boost MultiChoice’s global revenue by exporting South African-made content like Shaka Ilembe and Spinners through StudioCanal’s international network, marking a new era for African storytelling.
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