Naspers is considering the sale of its African pay TV business outside
its home market of South Africa as one of a number of options for the
service, according to local reports.
According to Bloomberg, citing two unnamed sources, Naspers is looking
at a sale because of slow economic growth in key African markets and the
proliferation of low-cost alternatives.
The sale will not include the profitable South African DStv platform,
according to Bloomberg’s sources. The report said that the sale of the
non-South African business was one of a number of options being
considered and that a final decision had not been made.
Earlier, South African news site MyBroadband reported that Naspers was
in talks to sell MultiChoice Africa to South Africa-based pan-African
telco MTN.
According to Bloomberg, the pair briefly discussed a deal but no
agreement was reached. MTN and MultiChoice have said they are in talks
about sharing content, however.
MTN has in recent years expanded into TV, offering OTT subscription
service in South Africa and acquiring licences elsewhere. The company
recently announced the launch of a TV service in Cyprus, where it owns a
local broadband network provider.
MultiChoice Africa’s performance has suffered as a result of competition
from new lower cost entrants in key markets and from the decline in
value of local currencies.
Naspers has over the last decade and half diversified away from pay TV
to make investments in internet companies. The company has a stake in
China’s Tencent Holdings that is now worth more than Naspers’ market
value.
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