French media and entertainment group Canal+ rose in its debut trading session on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, marking a historic milestone as the first French company to secure a listing on South Africa’s main bourse, according to Bloomberg. The secondary listing follows Canal+’s acquisition of MultiChoice Group and underscores the company’s growing commitment to the African market.
The company began trading under the ticker CNP, with a market capitalization of just over R50 billion. Canal+ maintains its primary listing in London, but the Johannesburg listing provides South African investors with direct access to one of the world’s largest media and content companies while improving share liquidity.
The listing comes as Canal+ accelerates efforts to integrate MultiChoice, the owner of DStv and GOtv, following its multibillion-dollar acquisition completed in 2025. Chief Executive Maxime Saada has outlined plans to strengthen commercial operations, expand sales teams across Africa, and drive a turnaround at MultiChoice after subscriber declines in recent years.
Reuters says the JSE debut reflects Canal+’s long-term strategy to become a dominant global entertainment platform across Africa, Europe, and Asia. With a combined subscriber base exceeding 40 million customers across nearly 70 countries following the MultiChoice acquisition, the group is positioning Africa as a key growth engine despite broader challenges facing the global pay-TV industry.
