Canal+ has announced plans to recruit more than 1,000 sales professionals across Africa as part of a broad strategy to reposition and strengthen MultiChoice following its full acquisition of the pay-TV company.
The expansion plan was disclosed as Canal+ released its 2025 financial results, reporting stronger-than-expected earnings and reaffirming its confidence in Africa as a long-term growth market despite mounting competition from global streaming platforms and ongoing economic pressures in several countries.
Brandspur Brand News reports that Canal+ recorded earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation of €527 million in 2025, exceeding its earlier guidance. Combined revenue from the Canal+ and MultiChoice group reached €8.665 billion, with total subscribers rising to 42.3 million across Europe, Africa and Asia.
Following the takeover, Canal+ confirmed it has launched a €100 million investment programme focused on revitalising MultiChoice’s African operations. The plan includes refreshed content strategies, simplified subscription packages and a significant expansion of on-the-ground sales capacity through the recruitment of more than 1,000 sales agents across key African markets.
The hiring drive comes amid subscriber pressure at MultiChoice, whose customer base declined from 14.9 million to 14.4 million in 2025. The company attributed the drop to inflation-driven affordability challenges and intensifying competition from international streaming services.
Chief Executive Officer of Canal+, Maxime Saada, has repeatedly described Africa as a core pillar of the group’s future growth, noting that MultiChoice’s deep regional presence provides a strong foundation for expansion if supported by the right commercial and operational structure.
As part of its restructuring efforts, Canal+ has also confirmed the shutdown of Showmax, the streaming service previously operated by MultiChoice. The platform, launched in 2015 to compete with global players, struggled to achieve profitability, with losses widening significantly in the years leading up to the acquisition.
Alongside the operational overhaul, Canal+ plans to introduce a voluntary severance programme for selected support roles within MultiChoice, as it streamlines operations and aligns the business with its broader strategic objectives.
Looking ahead to 2026, Canal+ is projecting moderate organic revenue growth, with adjusted EBIT expected to rise to approximately €565 million and operating cash flow forecast to exceed €500 million. While MultiChoice’s revenue may face short-term pressure, the group expects profitability to improve, supported by tighter cost controls and a more focused commercial strategy.
Canal+ completed its roughly $3 billion acquisition of MultiChoice in September 2025, creating one of the largest pay-TV and media groups operating across Africa, Europe and Asia. The company said a detailed integration and growth roadmap for the combined business will be unveiled in an upcoming strategic update scheduled for early 2026.
