
Media and internet group Naspers rejected an offer made by Vivendi to acquire part of African pay-TV service provider MultiChoice (excluding the South African operations), based on information gathered by BFM Business. Naspers reportedly received several bids, including one from Vivendi amounting to nearly USD 1 billion. Put on the table a few months ago, Vivendi’s offer was turned down and it is now unclear whether Naspers is still interested in finding a potential buyer for the subsidiary.
MultiChoice Africa offers pay-TV services in many English-speaking African countries and counts 5.6 million subscribers across Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda and Zambia. Rumours of a sale first emerged last year, after the profitability of the business turned negative as a result of heavier investments. Both Naspers and Vivendi have declined to comment on the story.