NCA-led stakeholder group now has until September 29 to propose solutions for affordability and cross-border piracy
Ghana’s National Communications Authority (NCA) has granted a one-week extension to the stakeholder committee reviewing DStv pricing, pushing the deadline for recommendations to September 29, 2025, as the group works to address pay-TV affordability concerns and cross-border piracy issues.
The committee, which began its review on September 8, was initially expected to complete its work within three weeks but requested additional time to finalize recommendations on pricing structures and anti-piracy measures.
Dual Mandate: Pricing and Piracy Prevention
The committee faces two interconnected challenges that reflect broader issues in Ghana’s pay-TV market. First, it must develop commercially viable solutions to address affordability concerns raised by the Minister of Communication, Digital Technology, and Innovations regarding DStv’s pricing structure in Ghana.
Second, the committee is tasked with establishing a roadmap to combat cross-border piracy of DStv decoders and services from Nigeria, where pricing differences and currency variations create incentives for unauthorized access across borders.
Market Dynamics Drive Regulatory Intervention
The review reflects growing pressure on pay-TV operators to balance commercial sustainability with consumer affordability in markets where purchasing power varies significantly. DStv’s parent company MultiChoice operates across multiple African markets with different pricing structures, creating potential for cross-border arbitrage and piracy.
The prevalence of piracy undermines both service quality and industry revenue while creating unfair competition between authorized and unauthorized service providers. However, addressing piracy through pricing alone may not be sufficient if underlying affordability challenges persist.
Stakeholder Balancing Act
The committee must propose solutions that satisfy multiple stakeholders including consumers seeking affordable access, MultiChoice requiring commercial viability, and regulators ensuring fair market practices. This balancing act becomes more complex when considering regional pricing differences and cross-border market dynamics.
The NCA’s statement that the committee has “made significant progress” suggests productive dialogue among stakeholders, though the extension indicates the complexity of reaching mutually acceptable solutions.
Enforcement and Implementation Challenges
Even with committee recommendations, successful implementation will require effective enforcement mechanisms for anti-piracy measures and ongoing monitoring of pricing compliance. Cross-border piracy particularly requires coordination between Ghanaian and Nigerian authorities.
The committee’s roadmap must address both immediate pricing concerns and longer-term structural issues that enable piracy, including decoder technology, service authentication, and cross-border regulatory cooperation.
Industry-Wide Implications
The outcomes could influence regulatory approaches to pay-TV pricing across West Africa, where similar cross-border dynamics exist between markets with different pricing structures and regulatory frameworks.
Success in addressing both affordability and piracy concerns could provide a model for other African markets facing similar challenges with regional pay-TV operators serving multiple countries with varying economic conditions.
The committee’s recommendations will be closely watched by industry stakeholders as a test of whether collaborative regulatory approaches can effectively address complex cross-border media market challenges.
