Phahle steps down as CEO of Showmax

Yolisa Phahle is stepping down as CEO of MultiChoice-owned African streamer Showmax, with Marc Jury appointed as interim CEO until a successor is found.

Phahle began the handover process to MultiChoice South Africa CEO Jury on September 1 and will provide full-time advisory support to the exec for the next six months.

From March 2024, Phahle will continue to consult for the group for 12 months, reporting to Jury, who will run Showmax and MultiChoice’s South African operations while it searches for a new Showmax CEO.

It comes after the South African pay TV group partnered with Comcast’s NBCUniversal and Sky to relaunch Showmax in sub-Saharan Africa.

The streamer will feature local content and originals from MultiChoice and its channels including Mzansi Magic, Africa Magic and Maisha Magic, alongside international content licensed from NBCUniversal and Sky, plus third-party content from HBO, Warner Bros International, Sony and others, as well as live English Premier League football.

Phahle joined MultiChoice-owned M-Net in 2005 as general manager for Channel O and was later appointed channel director for MultiChoice’s local channels in South Africa, where she launched the Mzansi Magic portfolio of channels. She was named M-Net CEO in 2015 and appointed as CEO for Showmax in 2020.

Calvo Mawela, MultiChoice Group CEO, said: “Having worked with me and the board to set the new direction, we wish her the very best of luck as she begins the new episode of her professional life.”