South Africa’s streaming landscape just got shook. After nearly a decade of trying to compete with global giants like Netflix and Disney+, Showmax is reportedly shutting down.

Launched in 2015 by MultiChoice, Showmax aimed to be Africa’s answer to streaming, producing popular local shows and expanding into dozens of African countries. But despite relaunches, partnerships, and investment in local content, the platform struggled to keep up with international competitors — and the costs of content, technology, and marketing reportedly became too high to sustain.

To help us make sense of what this means for subscribers, local content creators, and the future of streaming in Africa, we’re joined by Jan Vermeulen, Editor-in-Chief of MyBroadband, who has been covering this story closely.

In this episode, we dig into:

Why Showmax, once a local streaming hope, couldn’t survive the global streaming wars

What happens to all the local shows and African productions it supported

How MultiChoice’s strategy might shift moving forward

The future of streaming for South African audiences

Whether you’re a Showmax subscriber, a content creator, or just curious about the streaming industry in South Africa, this conversation is packed with insights you won’t want to miss.

South Africa&rsquo;s streaming landscape just got shook. After nearly a decade of trying to compete with global giants like Netflix and Disney+, Showmax is reportedly shutting down.
Launched in 2015 by MultiChoice, Showmax aimed to be Africa&rsquo;s answer to streaming, producing popular local shows and expanding into dozens of African countries. But despite relaunches, partnerships, and investment in local content, the platform struggled to keep up with international competitors &mdash; and the costs of content, technology, and marketing reportedly became too high to sustain.
To help us make sense of what this means for subscribers, local content creators, and the future of streaming in Africa, we&rsquo;re joined by Jan Vermeulen, Editor-in-Chief of MyBroadband, who has been covering this story closely.
In this episode, we dig into:
Why Showmax, once a local streaming hope, couldn&rsquo;t survive the global streaming wars
What happens to all the local shows and African productions it supported
How MultiChoice&rsquo;s strategy might shift moving forward
The future of streaming for South African audiences
Whether you&rsquo;re a Showmax subscriber, a content creator, or just curious about the streaming industry in South Africa, this conversation is packed with insights you won&rsquo;t want to miss.

Hang out with Thando Thabethe and Matt Flaxx on 947 Drive with Thando every Monday to Friday, 15:00 to 18:00.

Hang out with Thando Thabethe and Matt Flaxx on 947 Drive with Thando every Monday to Friday, 15:00 to 18:00.

947 Drive with Thando

Hang out with Thando Thabethe on 947 Drive with Thando every Monday to Friday, 15:00 to 18:00.

Hang out with Thando Thabethe on 947 Drive with Thando every Monday to Friday, 15:00 to 18:00.

The future of streaming for South African audiences

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/5dcefa8e-00a9-4595-8ce1-a4ab0080f142/clips/f6cf3fff-26b8-43c9-8156-b4080113aa20/transcript