The Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, Hon. Samuel Nartey George (MP), has called on the newly merged Canal+ and MultiChoice Group to deepen its investment in Ghana’s creative industry and expand local content production as part of its strategic operations in Africa.
He made the call when executives of the group paid a courtesy call on him to formally introduce their merger and outline future plans for the continent.
The delegation, led by Mr. David Mignot, Chief Executive Officer for Africa Operations, and other Senior officials, briefed the Minister on the consolidation of Canal+, MultiChoice, and Group Vivendi Africa (GVA), three major players in the entertainment and broadband sectors—into a single continental platform to boost African content creation and distribution.
Hon. Samuel Nartey George commended the merger as a bold step towards strengthening African ownership and representation in the global media and entertainment space but urged the group to invest more in Ghana’s local content ecosystem.
He proposed that the Ministry and the company collaborate to host a roundtable engagement between Ghanaian film producers, content creators, and the Canal+ and MultiChoice team, to discuss partnerships, production standards, and investment opportunities.
“Our culture is deep and rich with untold stories — from Yaa Asantewaa to Ghana’s role in African liberation movements. These are narratives that deserve to be told on continental and global screens. I would like to see Canal+ and MultiChoice actively support the creative sector to bring these stories to life,” the Minister said.
He highlighted the importance of developing Ghana’s film and digital creative industry, stressing that local production should match the quality of other leading African markets.
The Minister encouraged the group to consider investing in production studios, shared equipment facilities, and local partnerships that would help raise content standards and visibility for Ghanaian creatives.
On digital infrastructure, the Minister commended GVA’s fiber-to-home initiatives and urged the group to explore affordable models that could make high-speed broadband accessible to more homes.
He explained that broader fiber connectivity would enhance the quality of experience for mobile users and enable seamless content streaming.
“Our goal as a Ministry is to lower the barriers to entry for both consumers and investors. Affordable and reliable internet is key to digital inclusion, and partnerships like this can help us achieve that,” he added.
Hon. George further called for uniform content pricing across African countries, with only national tax variations, to eliminate pricing disparities that have historically caused tension between service providers and regulators.
In response, Mr. Mignot reaffirmed the group’s commitment to strengthening its African footprint, emphasizing that the merger would combine resources to deliver over 10,000 hours of African content annually in 25 languages, supported by over 17,000 employees across the continent.
He expressed enthusiasm about Ghana’s role as a key market and welcomed the Minister’s proposal for closer collaboration with the country’s creative industry.
The meeting concluded with both parties reaffirming their shared commitment to leveraging digital technology and local storytelling to shape Africa’s narrative and expand access to quality entertainment and broadband services across the continent.
