Former CEO of communications regulator Icasa Willington Ngwepe has been appointed as CEO of MultiChoice LicenceCo, the company that houses DStv’s subscription broadcast licences in South Africa.
“Ngwepe brings extensive executive leadership and regulatory experience to the role. His most recent role was executive head of regulatory affairs at MultiChoice Group, where he played a central role in guiding the company’s engagement with regulatory authorities, including the approvals process for the Canal+ transaction across Africa,” MultiChoice said in a statement on Monday.
LicenceCo was created ahead of the acquisition by French broadcasting giant Groupe Canal+ of MultiChoice Group with the aim of isolating the former’s South African broadcast licensee and excluding it from the assets being acquired at group level.
This sought to avoid violating the Electronic Communications Act, which restricts foreign entities from owning and having voting rights higher than 20% in a South African broadcast licensee. LicenceCo is also the entity that South African subscribers will contract with regarding their DStv subscriptions.
AfriFund Investments, a shareholder alongside Identity Partners and MultiChoice black empowerment scheme Phuthuma Nathi in LicenceCo, is led by former Telkom Group CEO Sipho Maseko. Maseko has been appointed as “board observer” at LicenceCo.
“These developments constitute a significant milestone in strengthening the governance of MultiChoice (Pty) Ltd. The appointment of an experienced and independent board, together with the leadership of Willington as CEO, ensures continuity, compliance and stability for the operations in South Africa,” said MultiChoice.
Other nominations
News of the appointments at LicenceCo follow the consummation last month of Canal+’s acquisition of MultiChoice, which has seen the appointment of David Mignot as MultiChoice Group CEO. He replaced Calvo Mawela, who has shifted to the role of chairman of Canal+ Africa.
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Mawela and Mignot also have nominated by MultiChoice Group to also serve on the LicenceCo board. Lerato Pule was nominated by Phuthuma Nathi to serve as its interim representative. Other nominations to the board include Sonja de Bruyn of Identity Partners and Sizeka Magwentshu-Rustenburg. Magwentshu-Rustenburg will serve as board chair. – © 2025 NewsCentral Media
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