🚀 TechCabal Daily: MultiChoice Kicks Off Major Canal+ Restructuring!

When you saw MultiChoice in today’s update, you might have wondered: ‘Has the pay-TV giant finally lowered DSTv subscription fees?’ or ‘Is it facing regulatory challenges again?’

While those are valid questions, the spotlight is on MultiChoice due to its significant Canal+ acquisition. On Tuesday, the company announced it has begun reorganizing its operations to integrate the French media conglomerate Vivendi Group’s Canal+ business. This R55 billion ($3.17 billion) acquisition, which has been in the public eye since Canal+ first acquired shares five years ago, is now reaching completion.

Background: Canal+ initiated a mandatory buyout offer in 2024 to acquire 36.6% of MultiChoice, activating a clause that allowed a full takeover bid. The offer stood at R125 ($7.21) per share. Following regulatory approval, both entities have been working to establish frameworks enabling Canal+ to hold a controlling interest.

Current status: MultiChoice has created a subsidiary named LicenceCo, which holds its broadcasting licenses. To comply with South African competition and foreign ownership laws, MultiChoice will reduce its controlling interest in LicenceCo to 20%.

Consumer impact: According to CEO Calvo Mawela, MultiChoice will maintain control over its operations, content, and branding across all platforms. The agreement does not include content-sharing arrangements, so Canal+ will not merge its streaming content with MultiChoice’s offerings.

This marks a pivotal moment in Africa’s pay-TV landscape, with one of the continent’s leading companies at the forefront of change.

CRDB Bank, Tanzania’s largest financial institution by assets, has transitioned from its legacy Fusion Banking Essence (FBE) system by Finastra to the Swiss-based Temenos T24 platform, widely used by major banks like KCB and Stanbic. This upgrade was completed in early September.

Reason for change: CRDB aims to expand beyond East Africa into markets such as Dubai, a move that demands modern infrastructure to stay competitive.

Unlike a simple app update, core banking system migrations involve transferring millions of sensitive customer records simultaneously. CRDB experienced typical challenges such as service delays and account discrepancies during the transition but emphasizes the necessity of this upgrade for operational efficiency.

New capabilities: The bank now supports transactions in English, Swahili, French, Kirundi, and Arabic, and can process payments in multiple currencies.

Significance: By adopting Temenos T24, CRDB signals its readiness to compete on a regional and international scale. This upgrade also positions the bank to attract diaspora funds from Dubai and accelerate product launches. With the Bank of Tanzania encouraging modernization, other regional banks are expected to follow suit.

Recall when Alphabet, Google’s parent company, executed a 20-for-1 stock split on NASDAQ in 2022? Did you invest then? Now, Naspers, one of Africa’s tech giants, is adopting a similar approach.

Stock markets can seem like a complex game of numbers and valuations that often confuse smaller investors. Naspers aims to change that perception.

Details: The company announced a five-for-one stock split on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE), effective October 6. This means each existing share will be divided into five smaller shares, reducing the price per share but keeping the total investment value unchanged. This strategy is often used to make high-priced stocks more accessible to retail investors.

Before the split, Naspers shares traded at R5,885.40 ($339) each, making a 100-share purchase nearly R600,000 ($34,500), which is prohibitive for many. Post-split, the same investment would cost about R120,000 ($6,900) for equivalent ownership.

Context: A significant portion of Naspers’ value stems from its 23% stake in Chinese tech giant Tencent, valued at around $760 billion. Despite this, Naspers itself is valued at $53 billion, a discrepancy that often raises questions.

While the split doesn’t alter the company’s overall worth, it enhances share liquidity and broadens access to the stock.

Broader strategy: Naspers has been repurchasing shares and streamlining its corporate structure to better reflect its intrinsic value. Although stock splits aren’t a cure-all, they can help narrow valuation gaps by attracting smaller investors and increasing market activity.

Nigeria’s latest inflation figures reveal a continued downward trend, marking the fifth consecutive month of easing. However, many question why these statistics don’t fully reflect the everyday economic challenges faced by citizens. In August, inflation dropped to 20.12%.

What the numbers indicate: Inflation has fallen significantly from 32.15% a year ago, meaning prices are still rising but at a slower pace. For example, if your internet bill increased by 20% instead of 30%, you’re paying more than last year, but the rate of increase has slowed. In 2024, Nigeria’s inflation was among the highest in Africa, driven by foreign exchange shortages, the removal of fuel subsidies raising logistics costs, and agricultural disruptions pushing food prices up.

The Central Bank is set to decide next week whether to maintain current interest rates to combat inflation. Holding rates steady could relieve pressure on businesses and consumers relying on fintech loans but might also prolong inflationary trends.

Nigeria is pursuing bold economic reforms to attract investment and achieve a $1 trillion economy by 2030. Yet, strong headline figures don’t always translate into tangible relief for everyday Nigerians, as prices remain elevated and consumer spending sluggish.

Coin Name	Current Value	Day	Month
Bitcoin	$115,207	−0.58%	−2.03%
Ether	$4,514	−3.13%	+0.86%
Avantis	$1.12	+8.00%	+278.42%
Solana	$234.32	−3.55%	+21.83%

* Data as of 05:30 AM WAT, September 17, 2025.