Tag Archives: Imtiaz Patel

MultiChoice showcases SA at Expo 2020

October 15, 2021NewsImtiaz Patel, MultiChoice, South Africa, The Bomb Shelter, Tshedza Pictures, World Expo 2020Gary

Pay TV company MultiChoice has announced plans to put South Africa centre stage during the World Expo 2020 taking place in Dubai this weekend.

With MultiChoice being the official broadcast partner of Team South Africa, the company will host live performance One Night with Mzansi at the Dubai Opera on October 17. This will showcase the best of SA’s talent as they share their craft with the world through storytelling, performance and music.

The live show will be hosted by South African actor Nomzamo Mbatha and will feature performances by local favourites like Mi Casa, Blaq Diamond, DJ Maphorisa, Daliwonga and Ami Faku.

Production companies including Tshedza Pictures and The Bomb Shelter, both of which have worked closely with MultiChoice over the years, will be present as well as artists including Sho Madjozi, Pabi Moloi, Thando Thabethe, Coenie de Villiers, Mzansi Youth and Drakensberg Boys Choirs.

According to the pay TV company, there will also be a content showcase of all of South Africa’s events on October 18 and 19 to reveal its talent and highlight the country’s beautiful natural assets and availability for business.

MultiChoice’s group non-executive chair Imtiaz Patel said: “MultiChoice has chosen this strategic direction as its contribution to national efforts to kickstart the South African economy and contribute to job creation interventions.

“South Africa’s attractiveness in the creative and cultural sector has, over the past few years, emerged as a key growth opportunity for the country, and as a platform on which to position and showcase its natural beauty and diversity using the international film and multimedia stage.

“The World Expo 2020 is therefore a platform to showcase the country’s assets, both natural and people, to, amongst others, the international business, investor, creative and tourism sectors. Both the creative and cultural as well as the tourism sectors have been hardest hit by the pandemic and the exposure at the World Expo 2020 can give these sectors a much-needed boost.”

The event, themed Think South Africa, Think Opportunity, will invite international guests to visit, explore and experience the gateway to Africa. The group will leverage its more than 20 million subscribers and 100 million viewers across the continent to promote the South African story of resilience and constant re-invention to global audiences until the end of March 2022.

tagged in: Imtiaz Patel, MultiChoice, South Africa, The Bomb Shelter, Tshedza Pictures, World Expo 2020

MultiChoice backs UN Covid campaign

July 9, 2020NewsCovid-19, DSTV, GOtv, Imtiaz Patel, M-Net, MultiChoice Group, Showmax, SuperSport, UNGary

MultiChoice Group has partnered with the United Nations (UN) as an official supporter of its Covid-19 awareness campaign, named Pause.

The Pause campaign, which is aimed at highlighting the dangers of sharing false information related to Covid -19, launched globally on June 30 with information broadcast across Africa through the DStv and GOtv on-air and digital platforms, SuperSport and M-Net properties and Showmax.

Furthermore, the campaign asks people around the world to pause, think and take care before sharing information that could be inaccurate or a result of misinformation and may have harmful effects.

Robert Skinner, senior advisor for global communications at the UN, said: “We are in a moment of global reckoning as Covid-19 and its social and economic consequences challenge the world in unprecedented ways. Misinformation, hate speech and fake news are fueling and distorting all of these challenges and eroding the truth. We are very excited to have MultiChoice onboard as a supporter giving the launch of our campaign reach across Africa. They are uniquely positioned to deliver this important message to their diverse audiences across the continent.”

MultiChoice executive chairman Imtiaz Patel added: “Reliable information is vital to the fight against Covid -19. The dissemination of credible information has become critical to fighting this epidemic, which continues to impact millions across the globe and our continent. We are, therefore, honoured to be able to utilise the continental reach of our broadcast and digital platforms across Africa to empower people with vital information.”

MultiChoice has supported a number of initiatives in the fight against the spread of the pandemic, which continues to wreak havoc across the globe and is being felt acutely across Africa. It also continues to seek opportunities to use its platforms to combat the spread of Covid-19 while supporting initiatives and airing educational and news-related content aligned with the organisation’s commitment to making an impact in the communities where it operates.

tagged in: Covid-19, DSTV, GOtv, Imtiaz Patel, M-Net, MultiChoice Group, Showmax, SuperSport, UN

Patel takes MultiChoice non-exec role

November 14, 2019NewsCalvo Mawela, Imtiaz Patel, MultiChoiceGary

Imtiaz Patel, executive chair of African pay TV group MultiChoice, will be switching to a non-executive role in October 2020.

The announcement was made shortly after MultiChoice revealed it had added 1.2 million active subscribers in the first half of 2019 and had also upped its operating profit to R4.9bn (US$328m) from R4.1bn in the previous period.

MultiChoice said Calvo Mawela, the group’s current CEO, will assume “full executive responsibility” after Patel’s move.

Patel joined MultiChoice subsidiary SuperSport in 1999 and in March 2005 was appointed CEO.

He was named group CEO of MultiChoice South Africa in 2010. In October 2015, he became CEO of video entertainment for parent company Naspers and then MultiChoice executive chairman early this year.

tagged in: Calvo Mawela, Imtiaz Patel, MultiChoice

MultiChoice exec team reshuffled

October 31, 2018NewsBob van Dijk, Brand de Villiers, Calvo Mawela, DSTV, Imtiaz Patel, MultiChoice Group, Naspers, ShowmaxGary

Naspers, one of the largest technology investors in the world, has announced the new executive leadership team for its MultiChoice Group.

Imtiaz Patel

The new execs include Calvo Mawela as group CEO, Imtiaz Patel as executive chairman, Tim Jacobs as chief financial officer and Brand de Villiers as chief operating officer. The appointments will take effect on November 1.

Naspers CEO Bob van Dijk said: “This announcement marks a significant step for the MultiChoice Group as they journey towards a stand-alone business. I am confident that through the leadership of Imtiaz and Calvo, MultiChoice Group will continue on its growth trajectory and unlock even more value for its shareholders.”

Calvo said: “I am incredibly excited to lead our team of highly capable executives through this new and exciting chapter for our company. Our leadership team is diverse, experienced and well-positioned to grow our position as the leading entertainment company on the African continent.

Calvo Mawela

“There are significant growth opportunities for MultiChoice Group in Africa. The combination of MultiChoice’s reach, Showmax and DStv Now’s cutting-edge internet television service, alongside Irdeto’s 360 security suite will provide a unique offering.”

On September 17, Naspers had made its intention to separately list its video entertainment business on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange and will include MultiChoice South Africa, MultiChoice Africa, Showmax Africa and Irdeto.

MultiChoice Group is one of the fastest growing pay TV operators in the world and its multi-platform business reaches 13.5 million households across Africa.

tagged in: Bob van Dijk, Brand de Villiers, Calvo Mawela, DSTV, Imtiaz Patel, MultiChoice Group, Naspers, Showmax

Naspers to list MultiChoice on JSE

September 20, 2018NewsBob van Dijk, DSTV Now, Imtiaz Patel, MultiChoice, Naspers, ShowmaxGary

Naspers, one of the largest technology investors in the world, plans to separately list entertainment subsidiary MultiChoice on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE).

The new publicly listed company is named MultiChoice Group and comprises MultiChoice South Africa, MultiChoice Africa, Showmax Africa and conditional access tech firm Irdeto.

Naspers CEO Bob van Dijk said: “This marks a significant step for the Naspers Group as we continue our evolution into a global consumer internet company. Listing MultiChoice Group via an unbundling aims to unlock value for Naspers shareholders and at the same time create an empowered top-40 JSE-listed African entertainment company.”

The level at which video entertainment has penetrated Africa is quite low, even though it is the fastest growing continent by GDP and population. This is why MultiChoice is being unbundled with limited leverage so it can pursue other opportunities in video entertainment.

This new business aims to offer streaming services online including DSTV Now and Showmax.

Video entertainment CEO Imtiaz Patel declared that: “There are significant growth opportunities for MultiChoice Group in Africa. The combination of MultiChoice’s reach, Showmax and DStv Now’s cutting-edge internet television service, alongside Irdeto’s 360-degree security suite, will provide a unique offering.”

Naspers’ video entertainment business, one of the fastest growing pay TV operators worldwide, entertains about 13.5 million households all over Africa due to its multi-platform structure.

tagged in: Bob van Dijk, DSTV Now, Imtiaz Patel, MultiChoice, Naspers, Showmax