DSTv to go Down Today – Sam George Announces After MultiChoice Allegedly Showed Bad Faith

Subscribers of MultiChoice are likely to see DSTv go off their screens today, as the Minister for Communications, Digital Technology, and Innovations, Samuel Nartey George, has threatened to shut down the pay-TV service provider today, September 6, 2025.

The new twist comes after the ongoing standoff between the Minister and the South-African company escalated following a Multichoice statement on Friday evening denying any claims that it has agreed to a price reduction.

The minister had earlier announced in a media briefing that, through a series of engagements, MultiChoice has agreed to a price reduction and hence was given a 14-day ultimatum to come up with reduced prices.

But after the latest statement by MultiChoice denying the said agreement to reduce prices, Sam George, in a series of forceful statements, dismissed MultiChoice’s latest posture, suggesting they have shown bad faith and breached trust.

In a social post by the Minister, Sam George declared, “I have no intention to continue tolerating the disrespect to Ghanaians by DStv,” announcing that if the company “has changed its position,” the government will proceed with regulatory enforcement led by the National Communications Authority (NCA) without hesitation.

“If MultiChoice is not interested, as they claim in their last statement, in discussing a reduction in prices as they had indicated to me, we would proceed to effect the shutdown tomorrow as indicated,” Sam George declared in the post on Friday night.

He further explained that, “DStv indicated their willingness to engage the Ministry on its concerns on pricing and prayed us to stay our enforcement action. If they have changed their position, then we would simply enforce the regulatory action.”

The core of the dispute is rooted in soaring complaints over high pay-TV subscription costs. The Ministry had earlier announced a five-member committee, including representatives from the Ministry, the NCA, MultiChoice Ghana, and MultiChoice Africa, to broker a fair pricing scheme.

MultiChoice had reportedly requested 30 days to determine an acceptable level of reduction, while the government insisted that 14 days would suffice.

Adding to the pressure, the NCA has imposed a hefty daily fine of GHS 10,000 on MultiChoice for a 24-day violation, a penalty amounting to GHS 240,000, due to the company’s delayed submission of detailed pricing data.

This breach underscores the regulator’s resolve to enforce compliance under the Electronic Communications Act. Without any intervention or last-minute changes, DSTv is expected to be shut down today. The nation watches closely.

Will MultiChoice return to the table with a viable compromise, or will Ghanaians witness a television landscape without DStv? The answer may define regulatory precedent and determine the boundaries of corporate accountability in Ghana.

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