Today is indeed a very dark day for the African entertainment industry as a whole. This is due to the recent announcement made by MultiChoice of the cancellation of the Showmax streaming service.
The announcement comes weeks after the streaming platform gained a number of nominations for the upcoming South African Film and Television Awards which will be held 14 March 2026, almost tying with one of its main competitors Netflix
The industry will no doubt feel the wide gap which will be left with the absence of Showmax as the platform was home to many productions that were created and tailored specifically for the platform.
These productions include The Wife, The Real Housewives of Durban, the recent Die Kantoor and The Real Housewives: Ultimate Girls Trip Africa which just wrapped up an explosive season.
The move by French media powerhouse Canal +, which recently acquired MultiChoice, has drawn criticism even though the now parent company stated that the acquisition will revolutionise the streaming and content presence of the MultiChoice group.
The move does raise more questions than answers, such as the future of shows such as Law.Love & Betrayal whose second season will debut in Mid March.
The official announcement to its subscribers stated that they can still access their favourite content on the platform and that information regarding the finalisation will be made ahead of time to its subscribers.
