In the late eighties, M-Net embarked on a drive to expand its operations beyond South Africa. One of the founding members of the Africa team was Nolo Letele, currently chairman of MultiChoice South Africa, whose responsibility was to open new operations through joint ventures in other African countries. Within a few years, the company secured a host of licenses across the continent.
In 1992, M-Net launched an analogue service to over 20 countries in Africa. To accommodate the highly diverse operating environments in each country, the company formed joint partnerships, which ensured that local business dynamics and customer needs were appropriately considered.
MultiChoice itself was formed in 1993 when M-Net was split and the subscriber management arm was renamed as MultiChoice. This new company would drive much of the expansion outside South Africa’s borders, targeting the vast untapped markets in Africa.
MultiChoice Africa continued to expand and by the end of 1995, the company had established offices in Namibia, Botswana, Ghana, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda, Kenya and Zambia, with franchises launched in Malawi, Zimbabwe, Angola, Ethiopia and Mozambique.
MultiChoice Africa is now present in 49 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, with millions of subscribers.