Big changes on the cards for Netflix in South Africa
The Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Communications and Digital Technologies recently announced its intention to promote collaboration between the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) and the video streaming giant Netflix.
Following a visit to Netflix’s One Piece set at Cape Town Film Studios, the committee reported that some disagreements between the two parties were hindering collaboration that could benefit the local industry.
These disputes primarily revolved around issues of intellectual property ownership and business models.
The committee expressed a desire for increased cooperation between Netflix and South Africa’s local industry.
The oversight visit report included several recommendations for both Netflix and the government, urging the latter to facilitate improved collaboration between the streaming service and the SABC.
The committee recommended that Netflix strengthen its partnerships with the South African government and the local film industry.
The committee is seeking a comparative analysis of South Africa’s competitiveness in the broadcasting industry from the global streaming giant.
The call for enhanced collaboration between Netflix and the SABC comes as the government considers implementing a levy on streaming services, including Netflix, to help fund the public broadcaster.
In 2025, Communications Minister Solly Malatsi indicated that he would consider such a levy on local and international streaming services as an alternative funding model for the SABC.
He stated that TV license holders would be exempt from this levy; however, his spokesperson clarified that this was not an official proposal from the minister and that various alternatives are being explored.
“The department is exploring several funding models, none of which have been adopted as a proposal at this stage,” he said.
Malatsi’s proposal to introduce a levy on commercial video entertainment companies is not a new idea.
The public broadcaster had previously suggested a similar levy during public comment sessions, proposing that the dominant pay-TV platform, MultiChoice’s DStv, be responsible for collecting TV licence fees.
DStv loses more channels
MultiChoice SA LicenceCo will be shutting down several channels, including M-Net Movies 1, kykNET Lekker, Mzansi Bioskop, and Mzansi Music.
This is part of a review of the DStv channel portfolio. These channels will cease broadcasting at 23:59 SAST on 16 September 2026.
Earlier this month, MyBroadband reported that content from these channels will remain available on other platforms.
A spokesperson for LicenceCo confirmed that there will be several updates to the DStv channel lineup, including new names for some SuperSport channels starting on 19 August 2026.
“These changes are designed to make it easier for customers to discover and enjoy the sport they love,” the company said.
LicenceCo’s official name is MultiChoice (Pty) Ltd. It was established as a separate entity from the MultiChoice Group to hold its operating licenses in South Africa after Groupe Canal+ acquired the company.
This separation was necessary to comply with local regulations that limit foreign voting rights in local broadcasters to 20%.
Local broadcasting licensees are required to have at least 30% ownership by historically disadvantaged groups.
In South Africa, Canal+ Africa provides the channels to LicenceCo, which delivers the DStv service to domestic subscribers.
The upcoming updates to SuperSport will introduce clearer, sport-specific channels, making it easier for fans to find their favourite sporting events.
Key highlights include the launch of SuperSport Football Plus, a dedicated channel for premium football that will feature selected UEFA Champions League matches and other major competitions.
There will also be SuperSport Africa, showcasing the best of South African and African sports, and SuperSport KickOff, which will cover overflow football events.
A new channel, SuperSport Extra 2, will launch to provide additional capacity for premium live sports, especially when multiple major events occur simultaneously.
Regarding the discontinuation of M-Net Movies 1, kykNET Lekker, Mzansi Bioskop, and Mzansi Music, MultiChoice stated that it is optimising its channel lineup.
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