For anyone who remembers the early DStv years, the Competition Commission’s latest referral against MultiChoice feels slightly out of time.
When DStv launched in South Africa in 1995, having satellite television at home genuinely felt futuristic. There were 16 channels. Most households still planned evenings around scheduled programming. Renting videos from the local store was normal. Streaming did not exist. Neither did smartphones, social media or the endless flood of content people now consume across TikTok, YouTube, Netflix and dozens of other platforms.
That context matters.
On 15 April 2026, the Competition Commission referred a complaint against MultiChoice South Africa and Altech UEC to the Competition Tribunal. The allegation is that the parties reached an agreement in 2014 under which Altech would not enter or compete in pay-TV.
