Nigeria and South Africa remain the dominant forces in Africa’s pay TV market, jointly accounting for over 18.97 million subscribers as of 2023. With Nigeria recording 9.69 million users and South Africa close behind at 9.28 million, the two countries alone make up a significant share of the continent’s digital TV consumption. This reinforces their longstanding roles as the biggest media and entertainment hubs in Sub-Saharan Africa, driven by large populations and relatively strong content markets.
Beyond the big two, a cluster of other countries, including Kenya (2.89M), Tanzania (2.27M), the Democratic Republic of the Congo (2.04M), and Uganda (1.77M), show signs of growing pay TV adoption. While these figures are smaller in comparison, they reflect a steady rise in digital penetration, urbanisation, and consumer interest in premium content across Africa.
MultiChoice, owners of DStv and Showmax, among others, has been in acquisition talks with Canal+. Canal+ bought a 6.5% stake in the South African media giant four years ago, which, as of April 2024, had been increased to 40.01%. A look at MultiChoice's revenue over the years shows that it's increasing at an average rate of 4%.