Multichoice Group has officially announced the discontinuation of its Showmax streaming service, citing unsustainable annual financial losses as the primary reason for the decision.
The South African media conglomerate made the announcement on March 4, 2026, after months of speculation about the future of the platform that was launched in 2015 as Africa’s answer to global streaming giants. In a statement released to shareholders and the public, Multichoice explained that Showmax had continued to incur significant operating losses despite efforts to grow subscriber numbers, improve content offerings and reduce costs.
“After careful consideration, the board has concluded that the current trajectory of Showmax is not sustainable,” Multichoice CEO Calvo Mawela said. “The service has delivered strong local content and innovative features, but the financial performance has not met our expectations in a highly competitive market dominated by international players with deeper pockets. We have therefore taken the difficult decision to discontinue Showmax operations.”
The company stressed that the closure will not involve any retrenchments. All affected staff will be redeployed within the Multichoice Group ecosystem, either to other divisions such as DStv, GOtv, SuperSport or to newly created roles supporting content production and distribution across the group’s linear and digital assets. Mawela emphasised that protecting jobs was a non-negotiable priority.
“We are not shutting down to cut costs through layoffs,” Mawela stated. “Every employee who was working on Showmax will be absorbed into other parts of the business where their skills are needed. We value the talent we have built and we are committed to retaining that expertise as we refocus our digital strategy.”
Showmax had positioned itself as a home for African storytelling, investing heavily in original series, Nollywood films, local reality shows and live sports. At its peak, the platform reported over 2 million subscribers across more than 40 African countries. However, competition from Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+ and free ad-supported services, combined with economic pressures in key markets, made profitability elusive.
Multichoice said existing subscribers will be able to access their accounts and continue viewing content until the agreed end-of-subscription date, with pro-rated refunds issued for any prepaid periods extending beyond the shutdown. The company has not announced an exact closure date but indicated that the service will be phased out over the next 90–120 days to allow for an orderly wind-down.
The decision has elicited mixed reactions from users and industry observers. Many subscribers expressed disappointment over the loss of a platform that prioritised African content. “Showmax was one of the few places you could reliably watch fresh Nollywood, Kenyan series and South African drama without fighting algorithms or paying international prices,” one Nairobi-based subscriber posted. “This hurts.”
Others acknowledged the financial realities. “You could see it coming,” a Lagos-based entertainment commentator said. “They were spending huge money on originals while global players with bigger budgets were undercutting on price. In a continent where most people watch on mobile data, the economics were always going to be tough.”
Multichoice said it will now concentrate its digital efforts on integrating premium content into DStv and GOtv packages, expanding Showmax content onto third-party platforms where feasible, and investing in local production that can be distributed across multiple revenue streams. The company also hinted at exploring strategic partnerships or licensing deals for its African content library rather than operating a standalone streaming service.
The announcement has renewed calls for government support for local digital content platforms. Kenya Film Classification Board and industry stakeholders have previously argued that African streaming services need policy incentives, tax breaks or content quotas to compete effectively with global streamers.
As Showmax prepares to wind down, existing subscribers are advised to download any purchased or rented content before the service goes offline and to monitor official communications for refund and transition details. Multichoice has promised to honour all outstanding obligations to customers and employees during the closure process.
The closure marks the end of an ambitious chapter in African streaming but also signals a strategic pivot by Multichoice toward a more sustainable model in a highly competitive digital entertainment landscape.
