Sabai dii,
Victoria from Techpoint here,
Here’s what I’ve got for you today:
- Showmax to be replaced by Canal+ app
- Inside Qatar as Iran conflict escalates
- China threatens Nigeria’s satellite shutdown over $11.44M debt
Showmax to be replaced by Canal+ app
French media giant Canal+ says it plans to replace Showmax with its own streaming platform, the Canal+ app, in markets like South Africa. The move follows an announcement by MultiChoice that Showmax will be shut down, with the company promising a smooth transition for existing subscribers. Until now, it wasn’t clear what would take the streamer’s place.
The decision comes after years of mounting losses. Showmax has reportedly lost about R8.7 billion over the past three years, including R4.9 billion in 2025 alone, making it one of MultiChoice’s most expensive bets. Canal+ CEO Maxime Saada described the service as a “severely loss-making activity,” saying the company saw little sign of a turnaround despite heavy spending on content, marketing, and technology.
For viewers, the shift could mean a new streaming experience. Canal+ plans to migrate subscribers to its OTT platform while also integrating Showmax content and features into DStv Stream. The broader strategy is to ensure that satellite TV subscribers can also access streaming through the same ecosystem, reducing the risk of losing customers to global platforms like Netflix.
The move also highlights how tough the streaming market has become. Platforms now require massive spending on original content and technology to stay competitive, and even well-funded players struggle to turn a profit. For Canal+, which is in the process of deepening its relationship with MultiChoice across Africa, shutting down Showmax and consolidating around its own app appears to be a bet on building a more sustainable streaming strategy across the continent.
Inside Qatar as Iran conflict escalates
When Bella, a Nigerian tech professional living in Qatar, heard that Iran had launched strikes on the country, her first instinct wasn’t panic; it was sleep. After five years in the Gulf state, she says moments like this, while unsettling, are not entirely new. “I wasn’t really scared because everything was being intercepted,” she explains, noting that residents usually receive security alerts before any incoming missiles or drones.
Still, the current conflict feels different. Now in its second week, the war between Iran and its rivals has escalated quickly, with strikes spreading across the region and casualties reported in neighbouring states. The conflict has also rattled global energy markets, with attacks on oil facilities and disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz pushing oil prices upward.
Victoria Fakiya – Senior Writer
Techpoint Digest
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Bella is part of a growing wave of African tech professionals relocating to the Gulf in search of better pay, tax advantages, and lifestyle opportunities. In Qatar, expatriates make up nearly 90% of the population, underscoring just how dependent the country’s economy is on foreign talent and labour.
But as geopolitical tensions rise in the region, many expatriates, including Africans working in tech, are quietly reassessing the risks of building careers in a volatile part of the world. Find out more in Chimgozirim’s latest for Techpoint Africa.
China reportedly threatens Nigeria’s satellite shutdown over $11.44M debt
Imagine waking up to find your TV signal gone, rural Internet down, and parts of government communications disrupted. That’s the kind of scenario Nigeria could face if a dispute over an unpaid satellite bill escalates.
China has warned Nigeria that it could shut down the country’s communications satellite if a long-standing debt of about $11.44 million is not paid. The warning, as reported by The Whistler Newspaper, came from China Great Wall Industry Corporation, the Chinese firm that built and manages the satellite, which has given Nigeria’s Nigerian Communications Satellite Limited a 30-day ultimatum to settle the bill for operational services.
At the centre of the dispute is NigComSat‑1R, Nigeria’s main communications satellite, launched in 2011 to replace an earlier satellite that failed in orbit. The satellite provides broadcasting, Internet connectivity, and secure communications, meaning its shutdown could affect television transmission, telecom infrastructure, and even some security operations.
The debt reportedly accumulated over several years for Telemetry, Tracking, and Command (TT&C) services provided from China, which are essential for keeping the satellite stable in orbit and functioning properly. Without those services, operators warn that the satellite’s performance cannot be guaranteed.
Beyond the immediate threat, the dispute highlights Nigeria’s broader challenge with maintaining critical digital infrastructure, especially assets tied to foreign partners. Satellites like NigComSat-1R play a quiet but central role in everything from broadcasting and broadband to emergency communications across Africa, making any disruption a reminder of how dependent modern economies are on space infrastructure.
In case you missed it
- Startups need more than money. CcHUB is building the system that makes them thrive
What I’m watching
- Nigeria: ‘Renewed Hope’ or ‘Hopelessness’? | Mehdi Hasan and Daniel Bwala | Head to Head
- How the US-Israel war with Iran got so big so fast – BBC World Service
Opportunities
- Scrum Day Nigeria 2026 takes place on March 24 at the Lagos Oriental Hotel, bringing together product leaders, Scrum Masters, engineers, and executives passionate about building better products. The one-day conference features practical keynotes, hands-on workshops, coaching clinics, and real-world case studies focused on product leadership, agile ways of working, and modern engineering practices. If your organisation is considering accelerating delivery whilst improving business outcomes at the same time, this is the room to be in. Apply here.
- Gates Foundation Africa is recruiting Senior Communications Officer at Abuja, Nigeria. Apply by March 25, 2026 here.
- Paga is hiring a Sales Manager. Apply here.
- Paga is hiring senior sales executives. Apply here.
- Paga is looking for sales executives. Apply here.
- Paga is recruiting Senior Key Account Managers. Apply here.
- Paga is hiring Account Managers. Apply here.
- As one of Techpoint Africa’s most engaged readers, you have a direct hand in shaping what we publish next. Take our quick, 3-minute survey to tell us the stories and features you value most. Your responses are anonymous, and your feedback will help guide our editorial focus in the months ahead. Fill the survey here.
- Interswitch is hiring a Strategic Partnerships Executive. Apply here.
- CANAL+ Group is looking for a CDI – Finance & Administrative Director GVA. Apply here.
- Tix Africa is hiring a finance operations specialist (Lagos, Nigeria). Apply here.
- Flutterwave is hiring for several marketing and finance roles. Apply here.
- Credit Direct is expanding and hiring across Product, Tech, Risk, Strategy & HR. Apply here.
- Spot & Tango is looking to hire a Customer Experience Specialist (Remote). Apply here.
- Infuse is looking to hire a Senior Product Manager (Contract, Remote). Apply here.
- LemFi is looking to hire a Customer Support Associate (Lagos, Hybrid). Apply here.
- Moniepoint is hiring for over 100 roles. Apply here.
- Building a startup can feel isolating, but with Equity Merchants CommunityConnect? You can network with fellow founders, experts, and investors, gaining valuable insights and exclusive resources to help you grow your business. Click here to join.
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Have a superb Thursday!
Victoria Fakiya for Techpoint Africa
