Multichoice Africa - Afrikan Heroes

MultiChoice Africa Launches Accelerator Programme to Boost SMEs

November 26, 2022

Africa’s leading entertainment powerhouse, MultiChoice Africa has launched its accelerator programme aimed at boosting small and medium scale enterprises in the continent. This follows the success of the MultiChoice (www.MultiChoice.com) Africa Accelerator (https://bit.ly/3OtthRz) Programme, which secured $16 million (USD) of funding for six emerging businesses last year, the programme has been expanded to eight more countries across Africa.

Many more small businesses in Africa’s technology sector now have the chance to benefit from the 2023 programme, which provides the skills and opportunities needed to attract transformative business funding.

“We’re really excited to be expanding the MultiChoice Africa Accelerator Programme to more African countries,” said Calvo Mawela, MultiChoice Group CEO, announcing the launch. “It’s part of our long-term commitment to growing and multiplying Africa’s technology potential, which is critical to our future growth.”

The MultiChoice Africa Accelerator Programme, which kicked off during Global Entrepreneurship Week, is aimed at established start-ups and small enterprises in specific technology sectors – healthtech, agritech, fintech, edutech, the circular economy and the creative industries.

“There is such incredible business talent across Africa,” said Mawela. “MultiChoice Africa Accelerator is an opportunity for investors and small enterprises to collaborate to multiply the impact of this talent and scale it across Africa.”

Having started in South Africa in 2021, the MultiChoice Africa Accelerator is expanding to Ivory Coast, Senegal, Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Zambia, Angola and Ethiopia. The initiative equips emerging entrepreneurs to secure funding and scale up their businesses, and also provides opportunities to pitch to international investors.

African Development Bank President Dr Akinwumi Adesina has previously noted (https://bit.ly/3U0gRSu) that, “the private sector is Africa’s growth accelerator”, and severa (https://MSEA.go.ke) African (https://SMEDAN.gov.ng) nations (http://www.DSBD.gov.za) have backed small-business development as part of their economic strategy. The MultiChoice Africa Accelerator dovetails with these development objectives.

The MultiChoice Africa Accelerator Programme is an initiative of the MultiChoice Innovation Fund, in collaboration with Dubai-based business incubator Companies Creating Change (C3) (https://www.WeGrowwithc3.com), which gives entrepreneurs access to the tools, skills and financial support to grow their business. MultiChoice has also partnered with EOH, a tech services company who will bring their expertise to the table especially in terms of tech advisory, development sprint and technical support.

The first phase of the MultiChoice Africa Accelerator Programme sees public and private-sector partners in each country nominating businesses or entrepreneurs for the programme. From there, 29 of the start-ups embark on an intensive virtual training course. The initiative is aimed at established businesses that are already operating and looking to scale up by attracting further investment.

“Start-up founders get to learn everything from how to properly research your business sector and your market, to how to create a niche for your business,” says Boitumelo Monageng, of Swypa, one of last year’s finalists. “During the workshops we were encouraged to dig deeper and I realised that we have the potential to compete on a much larger scale.”

The virtual training course takes place over several weeks, teaching start-up owner’s media skills, how best to market their businesses to investors, how to create attractive business plans, and to know what investors are looking for.

Later, the entrepreneurs will come together at a finals event, where 11 start-ups will be selected for the final pitch phase. They will attend a dedicated C3 boot camp to learn how to shape their story for international investors, and to get “pitch ready” before their big presentations.

“We believe SMEs in the technology, sustainability and creative sectors will be fundamental to the next phase of Africa’s growth,” says Mawela. “The MultiChoice Africa Accelerator is geared to finding the most promising start-ups, and empowering them to play this critical role.

Kelechi Deca

Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry

South African Subscribers Protest Against DStv, Demands Price Cuts

April 30, 2020

South African subscribers of leading entertainment cable television Multichoice Africa have been protesting against the provider calling for reduction in prices in line with the lockdown. After series of online protests that have been going on for a week, over 100,000 subscribers have signed an online petition demanding that pay broadcaster DStv drop their prices. The petition was launched a day after MultiChoice announced that shows such as Isibaya and Gomora have ran out of new content to air as the result of TV productions shutting down for the duration of the national lockdown.

The petition was started by Sfiso Gwala, writing in the petition description: “DStv should give SA subscribers a payment break or decrease prices during Covid-19. DSTV drops prices for the rest of Africa except South Africa and now this. We’re being taken for granted here #DstvMustFall” Currently the Premium (135+ channels) package cost per month R749, while Compact Plus (115+ channels) goes for R489 and Compact (100+ channels) will set you back R359.

Some of the 100,000 supporters of the petition have given their reasons for signing. “Prices must drop and we must get new content. Also, we must choose which channels we want,” Gaotingoe Mosiane wrote. “I am signing because I would like DStv to reduce their prices because all we ever watch is repeat on repeats,” Amanda Mthembu jotted down. “DStv is expensive and repeat shows most of the time,” Matshidiso Assegaai said.

From Friday, and the whole month of May, DStv plans to open more channels for Compact consumers “at no extra cost”. These channels include 1Magic, Comedy Central, Africa Magic Urban Movies, Curiosity Stream, History Channel, Nickelodeon, CBeebies, MTV Music and Sky News. “It’s exciting to bring new content to our Compact package subscribers. During this time, we aim to keep our customers entertained with the best local and international content available to us and we are excited that we can give our customers exclusives such as the Somhale’s The Union which was dubbed as the wedding extravaganza of the year,” says Ntsika Msuthu, PR manager at DStv South Africa. Responding to the petition, the MultiChoice spokesperson Benedict Maaga said: “MultiChoice continues to provide an uninterrupted video entertainment subscriptions service with the best available content.”

Kelechi Deca

Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry

Multichoice Africa and Real-Time Channels to Collaborate

July 15, 2019

As part of efforts to bring top quality entertainment programmes to Africa, Multichoice Africa, and Real-Time Channels have entered into an agreement to bring Africa’s Newest Entertainment Channel featuring exciting programmes based on Real Lives, Real Nature, Real Crime, Real Medical. Real Time’s cleverly-curated schedule and dynamic mixture of lifestyle and factual content will ensure audiences get their daily fix of real reality and must-see entertainment all in one channel.

On the DStv platform, Real Time will be available on the Premium, Compact Plus, Compact and Family packages on channel 155; and on the GOtv platform the channel will be available on the GOtv Max package on channel 12 (112 in Ghana and channel 312 in Uganda), allowing for more premium content to reach a wider spectrum of viewers on the continent.

Discovery Inc’s portfolio of channels has been serving passionate fans with content that inspires, informs and entertains with leadership across deeply loved and trusted brands.

“We are incredibly excited to present Real Time to an even wider audience in the market, and further expand and diversify our local portfolio offering,” said Amanda Turnbull, Vice President & General Manager for Discovery in Africa and the Middle East. “With an already successful suite of pay-TV brands, Real Time affords us the chance to bring our world-class content to even more audiences across Africa, in the form of a channel designed to provide much-needed ‘me time’ to the modern African woman and her wider family.”

“Multichoice is excited to welcome this new channel which will give viewers access a wide variety of compelling television shows from Discovery Inc. on our platforms,” said Yolisa Phahle, CEO of General Entertainment at MultiChoice Group. “We work hard to bring the best of what the world has to offer to viewers and plan to keep delivering content that our customers love at a price they can afford. Real Time is a welcome addition to the wide range of content available only on DStv and GOtv.”

Kelechi Deca

Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry.

Afrikan Heroes

Tag: Multichoice Africa

MultiChoice Africa Launches Accelerator Programme to Boost SMEs

Kelechi Deca

South African Subscribers Protest Against DStv, Demands Price Cuts

Multichoice Africa and Real-Time Channels to Collaborate

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