Not to over-flog this matter but how the Nigerian court treats MultiChoice provides a window into how other foreign companies would expect to be treated. The fact is that MultIChoice, the owner of DStv and GOtv, may even go under, without the help of the court. Simply, you do not need to go to court to bring MultiChoice down as the economic paralysis in Nigeria is enough “court”.
Yes, the company is technically insolvent which means it has no real economic value, i.e, the company’s liabilities are greater than its assets, resulting in a negative net worth. If that continues for a few more quarters, it may not even have funds to pay for those football rights in Europe:
“MultiChoice, Africa’s leading entertainment company, has reported a significant financial downturn for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2024. The company recorded a staggering loss of approximately $222 million, marking the worst financial performance in its history. This downturn has rendered the company technically insolvent, raising concerns about its future viability.”
And for MultiChoice, this is a lesson. If Nigeria is this important, you may show empathy as you modulate on prices. Largely, because Nigeria is bleeding, all the playbooks have crashed. That said, this “data suggests that DStv prices in Nigeria are comparatively lower than in many other African countries. This raises questions about the justification for the recent price hike and the tribunal’s intervention. While Nigerian subscribers feel the pinch of the price increase, the comparative analysis shows that they are still paying less for DStv services compared to many of their African counterparts.”
Let’s take a look at DStv prices in selected African markets in US dollars:
| Package | Nigeria | Sierra Leone | Ghana | Liberia | Benin | Ivory Coast | Senegal | South Africa | Eswatini | Kenya | Uganda | Zambia |
| Premium | 27.41 | 52.17 | 47.92 | 54.55 | 82 | 82 | 82 | 49.4 | 51.86 | 78.0 | 76.93 | 53.97 |
| Compact Plus | 18.52 | 30.43 | 31.71 | 31.82 | 53 | 53 | 53 | 33.0 | 34.75 | 48.0 | 45.10 | 34.97 |
| Compact | 11.63 | 19.13 | 21.14 | 20 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25.0 | 26.20 | 27.0 | 29.18 | 23.19 |
| Confam | 6.89 | 0 | 10.57 | 11.82 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17.5 | 0.00 | 14.9 | 18.30 | 15.58 |
| Yanga | 3.78 | 11.3 | 5.64 | 6.36 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 7.4 | 18.71 | 9.7 | 11.94 | 8.36 |
| Padi | 2.67 | 6.09 | 3.17 | 0 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 1.5 | 8.29 | 5.2 | 4.24 | 5.32 |
All prices are in USD. Source: DStv website.









