Development Alert: Trace Africa's Pan African Offering Is Being Axed On DStv For More Mzansi Vibes With Trace Ngoma

Trace, in partnership with Canal+ and MultiChoice, will rebrand Trace Africa as Trace Ngoma, with the channel scheduled to launch on 18 December 2025 at 3pm CAT on DStv Channel 326. This follows news that Paramount will be axing MTV Base by the end of December which curated local hits.

The rebrand of Trace Africa to Trace Ngoma positions the channel as a platform focused on South African music and culture, with programming centred on locally rooted genres such as amapiano, Afro-pop, maskandi, hip hop, gqom, lekompo and urban gospel. The change is intended to align the channel more closely with South African audiences and the country’s evolving music landscape.

The name ‘Ngoma’, which is associated with the concepts of drumbeat, celebration, unity and heritage, is used to reflect a renewed focus on local languages, traditions and artistic expression.

“Our customers want to see themselves reflected on screen – their music, their languages, their culture,” MultiChoice CEO Willington Ngwepe said. “Trace Ngoma brings that to life in a powerful way. This rebrand aligns perfectly with our mission to deliver meaningful local entertainment that celebrates who we are as South Africans.”

Trace co-founder and chief executive Olivier Laouchez said the channel will serve as a space for cultural expression and representation.

“Trace Ngoma is where music meets identity. It amplifies the rhythms and stories that define South African culture and gives young people a space to connect and feel seen,” he said.

The channel will feature a range of locally curated programmes, including Amapiano Plz, Maskandi Vibes, Ke Hip Hop Dawg!, Lekompo Fela and Top 10 Afro-pop.

In addition, the line-up will include live performances, DJ sets, documentary-style storytelling and faith-based formats such as Gospel Kickstarter. The programming is expected to highlight both established artists and emerging talent, alongside grassroots cultural movements.

Could MultiChoice Risk Losing More DStv Channels Ahead Of Paramount Africa's Exit In The Market?

As reported, MultiChoice is set to lose four channels by the end of 2025 including CBS Reality, CBS Justice, BET and MTV Base. This forms part of a corporate restructure at Paramount that will see the closure of several international channels.

In an email sent to various DStv consumers not long ago, MultiChoice has now warned it's subscribers that they could be losing an additional 12 channels by the end of 2025. For sometime, they've been embroiled in a carriage dispute with Warner Bros. Discovery and no agreement is in place.

This means Cartoon Network, Cartoonito, CNN, TNT, Discovery Channel, TLC, Discovery Family, Real Time, Investigation Discovery, Food Network, HGTV and Travel Channel could be going dark on DStv and GOtv by 1st January 2026.

MultiChoice has been involved in multiple carriage disputes in the past there was one with A+E Global Media for History, Lifetime and C+I. Followed by eMedia Investments who provide eToonz, eExtra, eMovies and eMovies Extra which dragged on for 2 and half years.

It's currently unclear what led to this but from what I understand Warner Bros. Discovery will be closing off Cartoon Network in New Zealand and possibly Italy. It had been alleged that Warner Bros. Discovery wants more money and MultiChoice refused.

Again nothing is confirmed here but its also been alleged MultiChoice which is now owned by Canal+ wants to pay less for these channels. A few months ago, they decided to reduce payments to various suppliers and contractors by 20%.

But if you had to look at past disputes particularly the one with A+E Global Media there's a strong chance that CBS Justice, CBS Reality, BET and MTV Base won't be the only ones leaving DStv.

"our priority is to provide you with the best entertainment experience at the best possible pricing"

While it's too soon to speculate, MultiChoice does mention wanting to provide the best entertainment experience at the best possible pricing. To me this seems like an indicator that the company could be looking to shed costs or minimise rates.

If there are channels expected to leave DStv soon which I believe might be the case I'd imagine niche brands like Travel Channel would be axed. Followed by TNT as MultiChoice already boasts a diverse lineup of films through M-Net Movies, Movie Room and KIX.

Through an enquiry, MultiChoice had said to DStv subscribers that it is ready to replace Warner Bros. Discovery's TV channels with alternatives. But it's unlikely that all channels would be replaced some like TNT already come with those alternatives.

Cartoon Network, TNT Africa And 12 More Channels Could Be Exiting DStv As MultiChoice And Warner Bros. Discovery Enter A Carriage Dispute

DStv parent MultiChoice Group on Monday sent a warning to its subscribers: that 12 Warner Bros Discovery-owned channels could be removed from all DStv bouquets in the coming weeks should the two parties fail to reach a new distribution agreement.

In a letter, which was sent as an on-screen pop up and e-mail to DStv customers, MultiChoice said it will continue to strive to give customers an “exceptional entertainment package”, whether a new deal is struck or not.

“The distribution agreement between MultiChoice and Warner Bros Discovery is scheduled to end on 31 December 2025. While discussions between the parties continue, no agreement has been reached at this stage. If this remains unchanged, a number of Warner Bros Discovery channels may no longer be available on DStv from 1 January 2026,” MultiChoice said in a letter to subscribers on Monday.

The 12 channels that could be affected are:

• Discovery Channel

• CNN International

• TLC

• Discovery Family

• Real Time

• TNT Africa

• Food Network

• HGTV

• Investigation Discovery

• Cartoon Network

• Cartoonito

• Travel Channel

MultiChoice hinted at a possible refreshed channel line-up in 2026: it said it is “preparing to further strengthen and enrich its line-up with new content, channels and services” in the new year.

The changes will affect all DStv customers across Africa; customers of sister company Showmax will not be affected should the Warner Bros content be removed from DStv.

Subscriber losses

The news comes as MultiChoice parent company, French pay-TV giant Groupe Canal+, stated its commitment to stemming the subscriber decline at MultiChoice. In a presentation to investors, Canal+ revealed that a 1.2 million year-over-year loss in subscribers to the year-ended 31 March had accelerated to 1.4 million year on year by end-June. Canal+ said it will leverage cost optimisation to reset the cost base across its African operations while taking advantage of groupwide technology “synergies” to drive costs down even further.

“What matters most is ensuring that your viewing experience remains rich, diverse and enjoyable. You will continue to enjoy an exceptional entertainment experience across your package, supported by strong alternative channels across every genre,” MultiChoice told customers about the Warner Bros Discovery talks.  

Could CBS Reality Be Shutting Down Around The World Alongside True Crime UK???

Some consumers were likely keeping tabs on this but CBS Reality's carriage had been in decline over the years. In the UK, this offering was folded under True Crime which very much like CBS Reality has been airing a lot of Judge Judy same goes for the feeds to have closed.

MultiChoice and DStv consumers have been the latest victims in this corporate restructure of Paramount with CBS Reality and CBS Justice expected to close by 31 December 2025.

This was stated by them when addressing the press

“Following a strategic review, CBS AMC Networks EMEA Channels Partnership – the owner of CBS Reality and CBS Justice – has decided to close both channels,” MultiChoice said.

Does this mean remaining feeds for the channels are expected to close???

At the time of reporting, the only markets that would continue to offer CBS Reality would be the UK (through True Crime), Romania and the Middle East. If you had to look at the channel's reach excluding the UK, it's a lot smaller and such aren't prioritised.

Unlike MultiChoice's DStv, Paramount's Channels Are Being Replaced In Other Parts Of The World

At this current stage, MultiChoice has no plans to replace CBS Reality, CBS Justice, MTV Base and BET once they go dark on DStv. This will only enrage consumers by next year and lead to the potential loss in subscribers as seen with high end packages.

From what is understood, the decision to remove these channels was a corporate decision coming from Paramount and AMC Networks International. MultiChoice has no control over that and are as much customs as of its subscribers.

But as MultiChoice a service is being provided by them so it would only seem logical in this scenario for consumers to get some form of compensation. Rather than widening down the reach of existing channels as if your top level or mid entry subscribers don't exist.

In New Zealand, Sky had launched two channels Sky Comedy and Sky Kids that have licensed content from Paramount's cable networks.  Even in Poland whose CBS Reality is scheduled to close at the same time as Africa is treating this as a rebrand with another set to launch in place.

Even in Australia, Foxtel had launched its replacements for MTV's cable networks: CMC, Australian Played and Trending. This is despite the fact that Spotify and YouTube Music are booming within the streaming space.

Then you have MultiChoice which is losing 4 channels despite closing an additional 2 channels in the year and between 7 to 12 channels in the previous financial year. They had only managed to launch like 1 channel and another 1 or 2 in the previous year.

In general, things at MultiChoice are really a mess and those following the media can only just hope that this tie up with Canal+ can only benefit existing clients in the long run. There's likely going to be more corporate restructuring within the media landscape.

Paramount is currently in pursuit of Warner Bros. Discovery and if they're able to sink their teeth into Discovery Channel and Cartoon Network. Expect a similar outcome to await these brands and MultiChoice won't have much leverage by then.

Some consumers are threatening to cancel their DStv subscription once MTV Base goes dark this was somewhat like the Mzansi Magic of music. Judge Judy that's also being axed without airing it's final season alongside reruns to Cheaters as this content won't be found elsewhere.