MultiChoice agrees to cut DStv prices in Ghana after government pressure
This comes after weeks of ultimatums, fines, and licence threats.
MultiChoice hasn’t exactly had the smoothest run lately. The pay-TV giant, best known for its DStv and GOtv services across Africa, has been scrambling to keep its business model afloat. Cord-cutting, the rise of streaming, and tougher economic conditions have all hit hard.
To make up for revenue shortfalls, the company has hiked subscription prices in several markets, but unsurprisingly, customers haven’t been thrilled. People are paying more at a time when their entertainment options are broader than ever, and the backlash has been building.
Oluwaseun Bamisile
That frustration boiled over in Ghana this year, where DStv subscribers have long complained about paying significantly more than their counterparts in other African countries. For instance, DStv Premium in Ghana costs around $83 a month, compared to just $29 in Nigeria. With the Ghanaian cedi being one of the world’s best-performing currencies in 2025—appreciating about 40% against the dollar—many saw no justification for such high rates. This growing resentment set the stage for a showdown between the government and MultiChoice. On Friday, September 5, Ghana’s Minister of Communications, Sam George, announced that MultiChoice Ghana has finally agreed to reduce subscription prices. The breakthrough came after weeks of tense negotiations, during which the government threatened to suspend the company’s broadcasting licence and slapped it with a statutory fine of GHC 10,000 ($830) per day for failing to provide pricing data. Those penalties alone have already piled up to about GHC 150,000 ($12,430). The turning point came when MultiChoice submitted detailed pricing information, including bouquet costs, tax breakdowns, and comparisons with six other African markets. Armed with this data, the ministry pushed for a fairer outcome. To move things forward, both sides agreed to establish a stakeholder pricing review committee. The group includes representatives from the ministry, the National Communications Authority, MultiChoice Ghana, and MultiChoice Africa, with George himself chairing the committee. MultiChoice initially asked for 30 days to determine the level of reduction, but the government has insisted the process must wrap up within two weeks, setting September 21 as the deadline. For now, it’s not clear exactly how steep the price cuts will be, but what’s certain is that this is a big win for Ghanaian subscribers who have long felt shortchanged. It also puts MultiChoice in a tricky spot: lowering prices in Ghana could spark similar demands in other African markets. With competitors like Netflix, Showmax (ironically owned by MultiChoice itself), and Amazon Prime Video steadily gaining ground, the company has little room for error. This battle in Ghana might just be a sign of what’s to come across the continent.
Louis Eriakha
