After Showmax: Who controls the future of African film and television?

When the lights go out on Showmax, it will not simply mark the end of a streaming platform. 

For many people working in South Africa’s film and television industry, it will represent something far bigger: the steady erosion of an ecosystem that once gave local creatives room to experiment, take risks and build careers.

The decision to shut down Showmax follows the takeover of MultiChoice by French media giant Canal+, a move that has altered the balance of power in the country’s audiovisual landscape.