For Showmax, it is finally time. Canal+ has set the closure of MultiChoice’s flagship SVoD platform in motion as the French operator prepares to launch its new proprietary subscription app in its place. This upheaval of Africa’s fast-growing streaming market was always on the cards, but Canal+’s path into the continent will be nothing short of bumpy. Substantial losses rendered Showmax unsustainable in the eyes of investors: a year since its relaunch in February 2024 with streaming technology from NBCUniversal’s Peacock, Showmax witnessed losses widen by 88%, underscored by price sensitivity across the continent, withdrawal from markets outside Africa, and the increased uptake of US streaming subscriptions. This latter point is precisely what Canal+ is seeking to capitalize from. The…