
MACRA Director General, Daud Suleman at the centre of it all
* A company that doesn’t go into negotiations is not good to make business with
* MultiChoice has finally met a match — maybe another player can reconsider coming to Africa and render some competition
* Malawi looks small geographically, but they have stunned the world with some of the tough decisions the country has taken
By Duncan Mlanjira
Zambians are wishing their country’s authorities could emulate the tough and solid stance taken by Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA) in restraining MultiChoice Malawi and its parent company, MultiChoice Africa Holdings from implementing any changes or modifications to DStv services tariffs.

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This has led to MultiChoice Africa Holdings withdrawing its DStv services from Malawi with immediate effect, and Zambians describe this as blackmail, with Mwiza Mphande saying: “A company that doesn’t go into negotiations is not good to make business with.”
The Zambians were commenting to a statement of withdrawal from MultiChoice Africa Holdings’ group executive-corporate affairs & stakeholder relations, Keabetswe Modimoeng, which Mwebantu online news site posted on Facebook, with Michael Angel describing Malawians as “brave and courageous”.
Nancy Kokola congratulated MACRA’s resolve, saying: “Malawi, the disciplinary committee — Zambia we can do better as well” while Chilangwa Davies Chileshe said Malawi is the “headquarters of disciplinary committee of the whole Africa”.
Kamima Nkhowani said: “When it comes to the rule of law and decision making Malawi is very serious. They have made tough and very painful decision but worth of protecting its citizens from exploitation by DStv monsters.”
The applauds continued with Chongo Mutombo saying “MultiChoice has finally met a match” while suggesting that “maybe another player can reconsider coming to Africa and render some competition”.
“The only key about DStv is football, if another company acquires the rights boom! — competition to level the playing field.”
In saying “a company that doesn’t go into negotiations is not good to make business with”, Mwiza Mphande went further to say MultiChoice Africa is “led by greedy and selfish people, who don’t care about their clients — perhaps not business minded. Such people lead to the downfall of the company.”
This was also alluded to by a South African broadcaster, whose phone-in programme was shared on TikTok that indicates that MultiChoice Africa has made a whopping loss of 2.92 billion South African rands.

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The presenter’s analysis is that MultiChoice had been monopolistic over the years but when technology upped the game, middle and upper income earners started downgrading from DStv Premium package opting for Netflix, YouTube or most recent TikTok.
These top customers, according to the presenter, usually accessed DStv for current international news, which is still available in other packages whose subscriptions are lower.
He emphasized that MultiChoice had been monopolistic but not innovative enough to counter any competition that management should have prepared for in advance.
Commenting on Mwebantu’s Facebook post, Zambian Garry Lupaka Maipambe said “this should be a timely reminder to DSTV and their hiking of prices anyhow” while Mando Asia said: “If Zambia can follow suit, definitely DStv will wake up and realize that they will lose a large customer base — and at last they will heed to people’s plea of a better service at reasonable prices.
“If they also withdraw from Zambia then another player will come on the market. Great move Malawi!”, to which Marcus Royd added voice to say: “Let them go. It’s such developments that awaken people and seek alternatives. Dependency breeds arrogance — can’t wait for this to happen here.”

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Sabrina Malipande gave Malawians the confidence, saying MultiChoice “thinks it’s untouchable” for not even negotiating and that its management “wants the Malawi Government to start begging” for the DStv service: “I pray other countries to follow suit.”
Ali Martin Chimombo added credence by saying MACRA has “set an example to what ought to be done across Africa”, while Isaac Sakufiwa opined that “Malawi looks small geographically, but they have stunned the world with some of the tough decisions the country has taken”.
Wellington Mambwe and Caroline Muyunda asked Malawians to lend Zambia the leaders on this issue to which Bwalya Augustine replied: “This explains why most of our Presidents are said to be Malawians — these people are brave. Here we allow ourselves to be exploited.”
James Musonda, while describing MACRA’s resolve as “a good move”, invited Malawians in Mchinji that they are “welcome to come and watch the English Premier League in Chipata”.
To which Chiluba Kabeli said: “As a matter of fact, the absence of TV has the potential to bond families, bring about innovation and promote productivity.”
In his statement of withdrawal, Keabetswe Modimoeng maintained that MultiChoice Malawi “does not offer the DStv service to the public and, therefore, cannot set or adjust tariffs for this service, a point repeatedly made to MACRA”.
He added that as a result, the Court order handed down to MultiChoice Malawi “is incapable of being implemented by them but carries with it grave consequences for the directors and management of MultiChoice Malawi, including imprisonment”.
MultiChoice Africa Holdings further said as its supplier, MultiChoice Malawi is given “an increasingly adverse regulatory environment”, and it is “therefore, left with no option but to terminate the DStv service indefinitely”.
“Customers are hereby, and with immediate effect, requested to halt payment for the DStv service,” he said. “Customers who have already paid their new subscription for the DStv service will have those services honored until the current 30 day viewing cycle ends on or before 10 September 2023.
“From Wednesday, 9 August 2023, no new subscriptions or reconnections will be accepted, said the statement, while thanking customers “for their support over many years” and also to MultiChoice Malawi “for their professional conduct in supplying its services over as many years”.
The High Court of Malawi sitting in Lilongwe issued an order directing MultiChoice Malawi to comply with the order of injunction which was granted to MACRA on July 29th restraining the digital entertainment service provider from implementing any changes or modifications to DStv services tariffs.

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A public statement from MACRA Director General, Daud Suleman reiterated that MultiChoice Malawi had sought the High Court’s intervention seeking directions on how it should comply with the said order of injunction.
“Following the High Court’s direction made today, the Authority expects that MultiChoice Malawi will comply with the High Court’s directive without any further delay,” Suleman said.
“The public is advised that any person who disobeys the High Court’s order of injunction may be found guilty of Contempt of Court and liable to imprisonment.”
Since July 29, when MACRA was granted the injunction, MultiChoice Malawi applied for a temporary stay of the injunction and when the period applied for an extension which was granted, whose hearing was today.
Suleman still advised DStv customers that according to the injunction it obtained on July 28, the current, unchanged, and approved DStv tariffs will apply from August 8 unless otherwise directed by the Court.
MultiChoice is arguing that it does not offer DStv service and therefore does not set or adjust the tariffs as the company is not an agent for MultiChoice Africa Holdings — the provider of the DStv service.
The country’s service provider further argued that “MultiChoice Africa BV Holdings (MAH) was unable to revert to the old DStv tariffs, claiming that reversing the tariffs would cause damage to MAH’s business and operations in Malawi and several other countries.”
MultiChoice further argued it was puzzled since MACRA is aware that the company does not offer DStv service — thus “forced to look to the courts for assistance”.
The service provider stresses that it is a responsible citizen that respects the rule of law and that it has applied and received approval from MACRA for adjustments to the GOtv tariff as it provides such service to the public and sets the tariff for that service.
MACRA as the regulator maintains that the temporary stay of the injunction is to enable MultiChoice Malawi to revert to the old DStv tariffs.

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