French Billionaire's Firm Canal Hit As Ghana Orders Multichoice Shutdown Over Rates

Ghana orders MultiChoice shutdown over subscription rate dispute, threatening Canals African pay-TV takeover bid.

Regulatory backlash spreads in Africa as rising pay-TV costs trigger interventions in Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, and more.

French billionaire Vincent Bollorx2019s Canal faces risk of losing African expansion momentum ahead of October 2025 deal deadline.

Canal Group, the media conglomerate controlled by French billionaire Vincent Bollore through Vivendi SE, is facing a potential setback in its bid for Africas largest pay-TV operator, MultiChoice Group Ltd., after Ghana ordered a suspension of its local operations over subscription rate disputes.

Ghanas National Communications Authority NCA issued the shutdown order after MultiChoice declined to slash its subscription fees by 30 percent by the August 7 deadline. The regulator has given the company 30 daysuntil September 8to respond or risk losing its broadcasting license.

The dispute underscores mounting tensions across Africa over rising pay-TV costs, with Ghana joining Nigeria, Kenya, Zambia, Uganda, and Namibia in pushing back against fee hikes amid high inflation and currency depreciation.

MultiChoice, which operates DStv and GOtv across 50 African countries, raised Ghanaian subscription fees by 15 percent in April with little public notice. Communications Minister Samuel George demanded a sharp reduction, but the company argued that such cuts were not tenable in the current macroeconomic climate.

Weve tried to keep fees as low as possible despite the challenging environment, said MultiChoice Ghana Managing Director Alex Okyere. He warned that a sudden shutdown could cost jobs across the companys network of staff, installers, agents, and retailers.