(Argiefphoto: Asif Hassan/AFP)
“Does MultiChoice still need its Afrikaans viewers at all?”
So asks Pieter Jordaan, head of news and publicity at Solidarity, in an open letter to MultiChoice, Canal+ and SuperSport, after members, subscribers and viewers asked questions about the decision to move Afrikaans cricket commentary aside during the Proteas’ current cricket tour to New Zealand.
“Currently there is no Afrikaans commentary option available for matches on the tour. Without any public consultation or notice to viewers and interest groups, it has been decided that the only language for commentary for matches on the cricket tour will be English,” the letter reads.
Jordaan says the decision hits even harder as the executive and local heads of Canal+ signaled their commitment to local content after this French media group took over MultiChoice. Among other things, it was indicated that the group’s strategy rests on greater investment in local content and stronger relationships with local markets.
The question therefore arises: Do MultiChoice and SuperSport still need its Afrikaans viewers — or is this core target market increasingly taken for granted?
This also creates several core questions, says Jordaan. This includes what MultiChoice’s own data shows about viewer preferences in relation to commentary language, as well as who made the decision to delete Afrikaans cricket commentary.
“I would like to remind you that already in 2017, after being confronted about the downscaling of Afrikaans cricket commentary, SuperSport undertook to address it. Yet now we are again in a situation where Afrikaans is abolished in 2026. This applies not only to the New Zealand tour, but also to local KSA tournaments in the 20 and 50 over formats where only English is deemed necessary.”
Jordaan writes that it must also be asked why Afrikaans commentary is offered to viewers as a “second-rate product”.
(File photo: Shammi Mehra/AFP)
“During the recent SA20 series – and in several cricket tournaments broadcast before it – Afrikaans commentators were rarely, if ever, present on the field of play like their English (or Xhosa) counterparts to provide lifelike analysis with access to players and spectators, and to be the eyes and ears of viewers not on the field of play.
“To disrespect the Afrikaans viewing community in such a way with an offer that essentially takes on a second-rate character actually comments on SuperSport’s attitude towards its Afrikaans viewers.
“The current New Zealand tour obviously goes even further – there is no Afrikaans commentary option at all. This creates the impression that Afrikaans is no longer considered a full-fledged part of the SuperSport offer.”
Is this a rational decision in light of MultiChoice’s financial reality?
MultiChoice has lost millions of subscribers over the past few years, and the biggest drop has occurred in South Africa, especially in the more expensive packages where sports and kykNET play a big role, says Jordaan. At a time when the company is already under pressure, a logical strategy would be to serve these loyal, high-value viewers more strongly, not to alienate them.
Pieter Jordaan, head of news and publicity at Solidarity. (Photo: Solidarity)
Moreover, Canal+ has repeatedly emphasized that the future of pay television lies in strong local content, local languages and loyal local audiences.
“Afrikaans content is one of the clearest examples of exactly such an audience: stable, loyal and willing to pay for quality content. Against this background, it is difficult to understand why a decision would be made that creates the impression that this audience is no longer a priority.”
African viewers deserve an answer. African subscribers pay the same, and often higher, subscription fees than any other group. Their money is good enough to help carry MultiChoice.
“The question is whether MultiChoice and SuperSport are still willing to take the interests of Afrikaans speakers to heart in return. They are also loyal viewers who have supported the platform over the years and deserve at least the respect of an honest answer.”
- Read the full letter here.