This is after Canal+ acquired more than 90% of the African pay-TV giant’s shares, effectively completing its takeover. Trading of MultiChoice shares on both the JSE and A2X was suspended on October 27 2025, the company announced in a notice to shareholders.
Viv Govender, Portfolio Manager at Rand Swiss, explained that the move effectively forces remaining shareholders to sell their shares at the agreed takeover price.
“The majority of shareholders have approved the sale, so smaller shareholders who may have wanted to hold on will now have no choice. The price being offered reflects a premium on the market value at the time the deal was announced,” she said.
For investors, Govender said the buyout represents a fair return on investment, noting that shareholders were given the opportunity to sell at a price higher than the market’s prior valuation.
“If investors believed the shares were undervalued before the deal, they could have purchased more shares to benefit further. Now, the market price reflects the deal premium,” she added.
Looking at broader market implications, Govender cautioned that delistings could reduce the number of investment options available to SA pension funds and retail investors, potentially affecting long-term portfolio diversity. “The available shares that investors can buy are decreasing. While MultiChoice alone isn’t a problem, the trend of significant delistings is noteworthy,” she said.
Govender also noted that the rise of privately held global tech companies, such as OpenAI, SpaceX, and Anthropic, mirrors the trend in SA, where many high-growth companies are staying private longer.
“When companies remain private, retail investors miss out on the substantial gains they could have realised if the shares were listed earlier,” she said.
She added that while the delisting is unlikely to immediately destabilise the JSE, it raises questions about the attractiveness of SA equities to both domestic and foreign investors, particularly regarding access to high-value growth stocks.
The Canal+ acquisition and subsequent delisting mark a significant moment in the SA media landscape, signalling ongoing consolidation in the pay-TV sector and shifting opportunities for local investors.
–ChannelAfrica–
