MultiChoice has officially reached the end of its chapter as a publicly listed South African company. After six years on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE), the pay-TV giant is set to delist following the completion of a full takeover by French media group Canal+—one of the most consequential shifts in South Africa’s media landscape in years.
In a notice published on the Stock Exchange News Services (SENS), MultiChoice reminded shareholders of Canal+’s October declaration that it would exercise its legal right to acquire all remaining shares. The compulsory buyout took effect on 5 December, completing the final step in a multiyear acquisition process.
MultiChoice confirmed that all delisting approvals from the JSE, A2X and the South African Reserve Bank have now been secured, clearing the way for its shares to be removed from both exchanges when trading opens today, 10 December 2025.
The delisting ends a journey that began in 2019 when MultiChoice was spun off from Naspers and listed as a standalone entertainment company. Under Canal+, the combined group will now serve over 40 million subscribers across 70 countries, supported by nearly 17,000 employees. Canal+ has also pledged to meet all competition-related conditions and pursue a secondary inward listing on the JSE within nine months.
Once a dominant force anchored by DStv and SuperSport, MultiChoice has struggled in recent years as streaming rivals, rising content costs, shifting consumer habits and affordability pressures eroded its business. Between 2023 and 2025, the company lost nearly three million linear TV subscribers, creating the opening Canal+ needed to press ahead with a full takeover.
For Canal+, the acquisition is both a rescue mission and a strategic expansion play in one of the world’s most competitive entertainment markets.
Starlink is making another push to legally enter Namibia—this time urging the public to submit comments supporting its telecoms licence application and a proposed regulatory amendment that would allow it to operate in the country.
Namibia’s telecoms regulator, the Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia (CRAN), is reviewing changes to a long-standing rule requiring telecom companies to be 51% locally owned. Relaxing that ownership cap is the key obstacle standing between Starlink and official approval. CRAN has already published the company’s application in the Government Gazette and opened a two-week public comment window, signalling meaningful progress.
This latest step follows last November’s clampdown when CRAN ordered Starlink to shut down for operating without a licence and instructed authorities to seize Starlink equipment nationwide. Since then, Starlink has formally applied for a telecommunications licence, which has been under review for months.
If approved, Starlink could help bridge Namibia’s stubborn connectivity gaps. While most citizens have mobile coverage, vast farmlands, remote tourism lodges and sparsely populated regions remain underserved. CRAN CEO Emilia Nghikembua has said Namibia is exploring satellite systems to reach areas traditional networks cannot.
Still, the satellite giant will face established rivals including MTC, Telecom Namibia, and newcomer Paratus, which launched a 4G network in 2025. But with public comments now open and policy reforms underway, Namibia appears closer than ever to officially welcoming Starlink.
Ampersand Opens Battery Swap Network to Global Manufacturers in Major EV Shift
Ampersand Energy is betting big on the future of shared battery infrastructure in Africa. The Rwanda- and Kenya-based electric mobility company has opened its high-density battery swap network to global motorcycle manufacturers, marking a strategic pivot from building e-motorcycles to powering the entire EV ecosystem.
Founded in 2019, Ampersand built its own motorcycles, batteries, software stack and swapping stations—a full-stack approach that helped it avoid reliability problems common among EV startups. CEO Josh Whale says the company is now entering its next phase by allowing manufacturers that meet its technical standards to plug into its network. The first such partner is Wylex Mobility, a major Asian EV manufacturer expanding into East Africa with Ampersand’s support.
The shift signals a broader strategic play: Ampersand believes the real competitive edge in Africa’s e-mobility market lies in energy infrastructure, not in who builds the “best bike.” For riders, predictable uptime and lower running costs matter more than hardware specs.
Ampersand currently handles over 20,000 swaps daily across Rwanda and Kenya, at about $2 per swap for 80 km, slashing fuel costs by roughly 35% and saving riders who typically spend more than $1,000 a year on petrol.
The company’s long-term vision is enormous: 50–60 swap stations per major city, each powering thousands of riders and supporting up to 150,000 e-motorcycles. Whale says the energy layer of the market will ultimately dwarf bike manufacturing—and he sees rivals such as Roam and Spiro as future collaborators rather than competitors.
With Africa’s motorcycle population topping 27 million, and Kenya alone relying on more than two million petrol bikes for daily transport and deliveries, Ampersand wants to sit at the centre of a shared battery economy that accelerates the continent’s shift to electric mobility.