MultiChoice Showcase held in Gaborone at the end of last week gave key entertainment, technology and business stakeholders a front row seat view of the product and content off ering in store for DStv customers in coming months.
MultiChoice Africa believes in the power of entertaining and telling stories conveniently, not only to touch people’s lives but to celebrate African talent and creativity from all corners of the continent. This was displayed through various content and product updates that were presented at their latest showcase.
The event set the stage for the leading broadcaster to exhibit their latest development and share an exclusive glimpse into what’s in store for the next few months, highlighting that their local investment and ever-evolving product offering has ensured that their platforms continue to keep the African creative economy growing.
“It’s that time of year again when we celebrate our unique strength as Africa’s most loved African storyteller and remind viewers that everything we do, from curating series and movies to offering innovative products and experiences, is done with the core intention of enriching the lives of viewers through entertainment,” said MultiChoice Botswana MD, Lorato Mwape.
“Our dedication to providing the best in local and international entertainment on innovative platforms drives us in all that we do.”
The carefully selected content caters for the unique tastes of the markets in which the pay TV provider operates, which is virtually across the continent. Wherever viewers are in Africa, there is a range of DStv content that appeals to each region, which is the direction in which upcoming content will continue to go.
Added to the specific regional content cherry-picked and produced for audiences for the various regions, DStv also offers a uniquely African channel that caters for a continent-wide audience. When it comes to pan-African content, HONEY (DStv channel 173) – the standout channel on many watchlists across the continent which launched earlier this year – promises a very exciting line-up for the coming months.
As of Thursday 26 August, eight local channels were upgraded from Standard Definition to High Definition at no additional cost to DStv customers. Viewers with relevant decoders can now experience an improved viewing for channels, including Africa Magic Urban and Epic, Akwaaba Magic, Abol TV, HONEY, Pearl Magic Prime, Maisha Magic Bongo, and CNN.
Fhulufhelo Badugela, newly-appointed CEO of Multichoice Africa Holdings, said over the next year Multichoice Africa will continue investing in local talent and channels and that keeping our audiences entertained with content that they can relate to is critical to the success of Multichoice: “This ultimately has a direct impact on changing the lives of people in the countries we are operating in,” Badugela said.
First-class international entertainment has an important role to play in the lives of any movie and series lover and the showcase event also shone a spotlight on some of the best content that the world has to offer. Upcoming pop-up channels accommodating niche tastes of international movies are in store for the very near future, including MNet Movies Lethal Legends and Hollywood’s Sexiest.
DStv comes in a wide range of package options to ensure that budgets do not determine accessibility to great content. The event reinforced the variety available from entry level options such as DStv Access, which features over 100 channels, to Premium, which provides a full bouquet of all of the content available and the many add value benefits such Showmax at no cost.
Movie fanatics are in for a treat as Multichoice introduces Movie Add-On, a new functionality where consumers on any DStv bouquet will have the option of adding more movie channels to their existing DStv packages at a fraction of the price.
Living in the digital age means never having to miss your favourite shows or movies again. Aligned to this current reality and never missing a beat, DStv, in addition to their streaming offer online and on the immersive app, will also be launching a new streaming service that will be formally announced soon.
Yolisa Phahle, CEO of General Entertainment and Connected Video at Multichoice, said: “We are committed to growing the Multichoice Africa business as we have seen the benefits it brings into the communities. Our online streaming strategy has also continued to give African viewers more choice, particularly as the streaming products were developed specifically for the African market.”
The event also evidenced how the business has been able to enrich young African lives through MultiChoice Talent Factory (MTF). The MTF programme has empowered young creatives to develop their talents in film with many graduates now providing content for DStv and GOtv and owning production companies which produce content for M-Net channels and Showmax.