MultiChoice Group and its cybersecurity subsidiary Irdeto have led a series of enforcement actions against illegal streaming operations in the Western Cape, resulting in arrests, device seizures and multiple court convictions under South Africa’s Cybercrimes Act.
Two raids were conducted in Cape Town in February and March 2026, working in partnership with the police’s Provincial Commercial Investigation Unit.
The first, on 12 February, led to the arrest of a suspect linked to the sale of illegal streaming services. Two cellphones were seized for forensic examination. A second operation on 5 March resulted in another arrest, with a cellphone confiscated. That suspect appeared in court the following day.
Investigators were able to access the second suspect’s streaming management panel, where they found 819 user accounts, 715 of which were active. All accounts have since been disabled.
Both suspects have been charged under the Cybercrimes Act for the unauthorised access to and interception of data.
The raids follow a string of recent convictions in Western Cape courts tied to illegal streaming and digital piracy.
In the Paarl regional court on 3 March, an accused was found guilty on three charges — fraud, unlawful acts in respect of software or hardware tools, and unlawful interception of data — and received a five-year suspended sentence.
Enforcement push
Two further cases were finalised in the Worcester regional court on 12 February. In both, the accused were convicted on multiple counts under the Cybercrimes Act, including cyber fraud and unlawful access. Sentences included suspended imprisonment of up to eight years, correctional supervision, house arrest and community service.
“The arrests, prosecutions and sentencing send a clear signal that cybercrime and content piracy will not be tolerated,” said Tobias Maja, senior anti-piracy manager at Irdeto, in a statement on Thursday.
Read: Canal+ unveils big plan to stem DStv’s decline
The enforcement push comes as MultiChoice, now a subsidiary of France’s Canal+, continues to invest in content protection across its 50-country African footprint. Irdeto says it provides cybersecurity services protecting more than six billion devices and applications globally. — (c) 2026 NewsCentral Media
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