Multichoice risks having its DStv broadcast license suspended nationwide if it fails to reduce subscription fees by August 7, 2025.
This directive was issued by Minister for Communications, Digital Technology and Innovation, Sam Nartey George, who expressed frustration over what he described as exploitative pricing practices targeting Ghanaian consumers.
Speaking during a public engagement under the Government Accountability Series, the Minister disclosed that Multichoice had submitted a nine-page explanation on July 21, outlining why it could not lower its fees. The company attributed its pricing to the long-term depreciation of the Ghanaian cedi, despite its recent appreciation.
However, this justification did not sit well with the Minister, who said he was unimpressed by the disparity between what Ghanaians pay and what subscribers in Nigeria are charged for the same packages.
“Their reasons included that the cedi had depreciated in the preceding eight years by 240% and they claimed that my request for a reduction on the basis of the appreciation of the cedi was unfounded because, in their words, the appreciation of the Ghana cedi over the last 6 months has been a fluke which could not be sustainable,” Sam George said.
He continued, “As Minister, my fidelity is to the Ghanaian people. I have to act in the interest of the Ghanaian people, and I believe the Ghanaian people have been fleeced and exploited for too long. I wrote back to the NCA on Monday and directed the NCA in that letter to suspend the broadcasting license of DStv effective 7th of August 2025 if they fail to effect a reduction in their bundle prices.”
The minister also decried the significant pricing gap between Ghana and Nigeria, despite the naira depreciating more sharply than the cedi. He pointed out that Nigerians pay the equivalent of $29 for the same premium bouquet that costs Ghanaians around $83.
“I can’t as minister serving the Ghanaian people, continue to watch what can be best described as plain stealing happening to the Ghanaian people. In my letter to them, I gave them scenarios from seven markets that DStv is operating in. The same content in the premium bouquet that is offered to Ghanaians for the $83 equivalent is offered to Nigerians for the $29 equivalent.
How can anyone explain this price disparity to me? Enough of the mistreatment of the Ghanaian consumer. In Nigeria, in the same timeframe, they say the Ghanaian cedi has depreciated by 240%, the Nigerian naira has depreciated by 409%. If Nigerians are paying the equivalent of $29, DStv must charge the same here in Ghana,” he stated.
Suspend DSTV broadcast license by August 7 if prices are not reduced – Communications Minister directs NCA
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As part of efforts to resolve the matter, the Minister has demanded at least a 30% reduction in subscription fees from Multichoice. This follows a high-level meeting with the company’s Ghanaian leadership on July 4, where affordability and fairness were discussed in light of recent fee hikes.
During a prior media engagement on July 3, the minister shared: “Last week, I invited the senior leadership of MultiChoice Ghana to a formal dialogue on DStv’s subscription pricing in Ghana. The meeting addressed public concerns about affordability, value for money, and fairness in service delivery. I made it clear the ministry’s expectation that pricing structures must be responsive to Ghana’s economic context.”
Despite the July 4 meeting, the Minister revealed that discussions with the South African leadership of Multichoice are ongoing. “I have a meeting scheduled for tomorrow, Friday, even though it’s a public holiday, with the Ghana team and their South African counterparts, the management from South Africa, they arrived tonight to agree on a way forward on the issues raised,” he said.
He added, “The outcomes will be shared with the public in due course. This engagement reflects our commitment to regulatory accountability and our resolve to ensure that digital services in Ghana remain fair, accessible, and responsive to the needs of citizens. I’ll make you one promise, I won’t leave tomorrow’s meeting without securing a drop in the pricing of DStv. That is a solemn promise I make to you.”
The Minister’s directive follows consumer uproar after DStv implemented a price increase of over 15% on April 1, 2025. The premium package rose from GHC750 to GHC865, while Compact Plus moved from GHC495 to GHC570. Compact increased from GHC330 to GHC380, and the Family package jumped from GHC165 to GHC190. The Access package moved from GHC85 to GHC99.
DStv Lite subscribers saw an 18% surge, from GHC50 to GHC59, and the DStv-Asia Standalone package increased from GHC305 to GHC350. The Great Wall Add-on climbed from GHC70 to GHC80. French content packages also recorded significant hikes, with the French Add-on going from GHC215 to GHC250, the French Plus from GHC435 to GHC500, and French Touch from GHC130 to GHC150.
Packages with add-ons saw similar increases: Premium with Asia Add-on now costs GHC1,215 (up from GHC1,055), while Premium with French Add-on rose from GHC1,185 to GHC1,365. The HD-PVR service fee went up from GHC100 to GHC115.
The fee hike sparked public backlash, with CUTS International, a consumer advocacy group, calling for government intervention due to the lack of adequate notice to consumers. In response to economic recovery trends, Multichoice Ghana recently reduced the price of its decoders from GHC169 to GHC89 and announced upgrades across its DStv and GOtv packages.
However, Minister George insists that this is not enough. With just days to the deadline, all eyes are on whether Multichoice will adjust its prices to avoid the suspension of its DStv broadcast license in Ghana.
