Naspers and MultiChoice: testimony, SABC proceedings and…

1Carrim’s testimony, contemporary responses and limited conclusions

analysisHistorical reporting and former communications minister Yunus Carrim’s testimony alleged that MultiChoice used its commercial position and dealings with the SABC to influence digital-television encryption policy. Reporting on the Gupta emails also questioned payments connected with ANN7. These matters concern the period before MultiChoice’s 2019 unbundling from Naspers.

Sources (5)

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qualification: Carrim’s testimony, journalists’ allegations and the 2017 Pomerantz announcement are different kinds of evidence. A law firm announcing an investigation on behalf of shareholders is not a filed shareholder action or a court finding of securities fraud.
response: Naspers said it supported MultiChoice’s review of possible governance failures and took malpractice allegations seriously; it said it had not been informed of investor legal action. In response to Carrim, its spokesperson argued that his allegations did not assert illegal conduct by Naspers and said the company would not exercise its rights to give or test evidence at the inquiry. The Guptas and Jacob Zuma denied wrongdoing in the wider allegations reported by Reuters. The commission’s final report records MultiChoice’s denial of improper lobbying and its statement that it played no role in Carrim’s non-reappointment. It also records a company review acknowledging mistakes in ANN7 dealings and recommending stronger channel-ownership due diligence and escalation.
outcome: The final State Capture Commission report, Part V Volume 2, printed page 516, found no evidential basis for fraud or corruption in the MultiChoice lobbying concerned. That limited favorable conclusion must accompany the allegations; it is not a blanket clearance of every contract or a ruling in the separate competition proceedings.

2Investigative power, merger notification and distinct appellate outcomes

analysisThe SABC–MultiChoice agreement also generated a competition-law dispute about whether it conferred sufficient influence to be a notifiable merger. The complainants were Caxton, the S.O.S Support Public Broadcasting Coalition and the Media Monitoring Project Benefit Trust. The 2018 Constitutional Court ruling confirmed the Commission’s investigative powers; it did not itself decide all disputed merger facts. ⁶ ⁷ ⁸

qualification: The Commission’s November 2018 report and April 2021 supplement concluded that the agreement could influence the SABC’s strategic direction. MultiChoice disputed that the pleaded facts constituted a merger and sought dismissal by exception.
outcome: On 14 April 2025 the Tribunal dismissed that exception. It held that disputed factual and legal questions required oral evidence in their proper context. This allowed the main case to proceed; it was not yet a final merger-liability decision or a criminal finding.

3The former group’s later Canal+ and LicenceCo structure

analysisMultiChoice’s later Canal+ transaction concerns a business unbundled from Naspers in 2019. The February 2025 structure described MultiChoice (Pty) Ltd—the South African licensee, referred to as LicenceCo—as the entity to be carved out. It was not described as a newly discovered subsidiary with an independent incorporation merely because the label LicenceCo was used.

Sources (4)

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qualification: The proposed allocation distinguished a 49% economic interest and 20% voting rights for MultiChoice Group from a 27% economic interest for Phuthuma Nathi, with other empowerment consortia and an employee plan involved. Economic and voting percentages are different denominators. The consortia’s leaders are not automatically personal direct shareholders in LicenceCo.
response: The companies said the proposed structure addressed foreign-control and empowerment requirements, with services supplied under commercial agreements by other group entities.
outcome: Later 2025 reporting records conditional competition approval and commencement of reorganisation steps. Those reports must retain their proposal and implementation dates; approval alone is not proof that every step was already completed. None restores a current Naspers ownership link.

Sources (12)

Other source · s-d232 identified by category only · Other
Media source · s-d294 identified by category only · Media
Media source · s-d295 identified by category only · Media
Media source · s-d296 identified by category only · Media
Judicial Commission of Inquiry into State Capture, Report Part V Volume 2 www.gov.za · Jun 2022
Court record source · s-d179 identified by category only · Court record
Court record concerning Naspers or the identified participant South African Competition Tribunal
Court record source · s-d361 identified by category only · Court record
Other source · s-d86 identified by category only · Other
Media source · s-d385 identified by category only · Media
Media source · s-d391 identified by category only · Media
Media source · s-d402 identified by category only · Media

Recorded connections

Naspers Limited to MultiChoice (Pty) LtdHistorical 2017 portfolio businessreported · Source recorded 2017-02-14; underlying appointment or transaction date and later status are not inferred from retrieval · historical
Stephan Johannes Zymon (Steve) Pacak to MultiChoice (Pty) LtdFormer directorreported · Historical mandate; group CFO ended 30 June 2014; later board roles ended no later than his death on 20 April 2026 · historical
Vasileios (Basil) Sgourdos to MultiChoice (Pty) LtdFormer finance manager of South African businessreported · Source gives 1994; exact start and later status depend on the cited record · historical
Naspers Limited to MultiChoice (Pty) LtdFormer parent before 2019 unbundlingreported · Source recorded 2020-02-25; underlying appointment or transaction date and later status are not inferred from retrieval · historical
MultiChoice (Pty) Ltd to Faith MuthambiReported policy lobbying of communications ministerreported · Source recorded 2020-02-25; underlying appointment or transaction date and later status are not inferred from retrieval · current or historical not established
MultiChoice (Pty) Ltd to ANN7Reported channel-payment counterparty; allegations disputedreported · Source recorded 2020-02-25; underlying appointment or transaction date and later status are not inferred from retrieval · current or historical not established
MultiChoice (Pty) Ltd to ANN7Reported ANN7 payment counterparty through MultiChoicereported · Source recorded 2017-12-05; underlying appointment or transaction date and later status are not inferred from retrieval · current or historical not established
MultiChoice (Pty) Ltd to South African Broadcasting Corporation (SOC) LtdChannel and archive licensing agreement counterpartyreported · Source recorded 2020-02-25; underlying appointment or transaction date and later status are not inferred from retrieval · current or historical not established
MultiChoice (Pty) Ltd to South African Broadcasting Corporation (SOC) LtdCounterparty to disputed SABC channel agreementreported · Source recorded 2025-04-14; underlying appointment or transaction date and later status are not inferred from retrieval · current or historical not established
MultiChoice (Pty) Ltd to The Competition TribunalParty in proceeding before Competition Tribunalreported · Source recorded 2025-04-14; underlying appointment or transaction date and later status are not inferred from retrieval · current or historical not established
MultiChoice (Pty) Ltd to Caxton & CTP Publishers and Printers LimitedRespondent to merger-notification complaintreported · Source recorded 2025-04-14; underlying appointment or transaction date and later status are not inferred from retrieval · current or historical not established
MultiChoice (Pty) Ltd to S.O.S Support Public Broadcasting CoalitionRespondent to merger-notification complaintreported · Source recorded 2025-04-14; underlying appointment or transaction date and later status are not inferred from retrieval · current or historical not established
MultiChoice (Pty) Ltd to Media Monitoring Project Benefit TrustRespondent to merger-notification complaintreported · Source recorded 2025-04-14; underlying appointment or transaction date and later status are not inferred from retrieval · current or historical not established
MultiChoice (Pty) Ltd to South African Broadcasting Corporation (SOC) LtdChannel-agreement counterparty; disputed strategic-influence issuereported · Source recorded 2025-04-14; underlying appointment or transaction date and later status are not inferred from retrieval · current or historical not established
MultiChoice (Pty) Ltd to Competition CommissionParty subject to Commission’s merger investigationreported · Source recorded 2025-04-14; underlying appointment or transaction date and later status are not inferred from retrieval · current or historical not established
Naspers Limited to MultiChoice (Pty) LtdHistorical parent before 2019 unbundlingreported · Historical MultiChoice group ownership ended at February 2019 unbundling · historical
MultiChoice (Pty) Ltd to Canal+Licensee involved in proposed Canal+ group acquisition and restructuringreported · Source recorded 2025-09-17; underlying appointment or transaction date and later status are not inferred from retrieval · current or historical not established
MultiChoice (Pty) Ltd to South African Broadcasting Corporation (SOC) LtdCounterparty to disputed SABC channel agreementreported · Source recorded 2018-09-28; underlying appointment or transaction date and later status are not inferred from retrieval · current or historical not established
MultiChoice (Pty) Ltd to S.O.S Support Public Broadcasting CoalitionRespondent to merger-notification complaintreported · Source recorded 2018-09-28; underlying appointment or transaction date and later status are not inferred from retrieval · current or historical not established
MultiChoice (Pty) Ltd to Caxton & CTP Publishers and Printers LimitedRespondent to merger-notification complaintreported · Source recorded 2018-09-28; underlying appointment or transaction date and later status are not inferred from retrieval · current or historical not established
MultiChoice (Pty) Ltd to South African Broadcasting Corporation (SOC) LtdPayer under channel agreement with SABCreported · Source recorded 2018-09-28; underlying appointment or transaction date and later status are not inferred from retrieval · current or historical not established
MultiChoice (Pty) Ltd to Competition CommissionParty subject to Commission investigation and information requestsreported · Source recorded 2018-09-28; underlying appointment or transaction date and later status are not inferred from retrieval · current or historical not established
Phuthuma Nathi to MultiChoice (Pty) LtdProposed 27% economic interest in LicenceCoreported · Proposed 2025 LicenceCo allocation and conditional restructuring; separate from 2019 Naspers unbundling · current or historical not established
MultiChoice (Pty) Ltd to MultiChoice Group LimitedLicensee to be carved out from MultiChoice Group under 2025 structurereported · Source recorded 2025-02-04; underlying appointment or transaction date and later status are not inferred from retrieval · current or historical not established
MultiChoice (Pty) Ltd to Independent Communications Authority of South AfricaBroadcast licensee subject to ICASAreported · Source recorded 2025-02-04; underlying appointment or transaction date and later status are not inferred from retrieval · current or historical not established
MultiChoice (Pty) Ltd to Canal+ S.A.Licensee involved in proposed Canal+ group acquisition and restructuringreported · Source recorded 2025-02-04; underlying appointment or transaction date and later status are not inferred from retrieval · current or historical not established
MultiChoice Group Limited to MultiChoice (Pty) LtdProposed 49% economic interest and 20% voting rights in LicenceCoreported · Proposed 2025 LicenceCo allocation and conditional restructuring; separate from 2019 Naspers unbundling · current or historical not established
Identity Partners Itai Consortium to MultiChoice (Pty) LtdProposed empowerment-consortium participation in LicenceCoreported · Proposed 2025 LicenceCo allocation and conditional restructuring; separate from 2019 Naspers unbundling · current or historical not established
Afrifund Consortium Investments to MultiChoice (Pty) LtdProposed empowerment-consortium participation in LicenceCoreported · Proposed 2025 LicenceCo allocation and conditional restructuring; separate from 2019 Naspers unbundling · current or historical not established
MultiChoice (Pty) Ltd to Competition CommissionRestructuring proposal under Commission review in dated reportreported · Proposed 2025 LicenceCo allocation and conditional restructuring; separate from 2019 Naspers unbundling · current or historical not established