The Competition Commission has referred a complaint against MultiChoice South Africa and set-top box maker Altech UEC to the Competition Tribunal, accusing the companies of reaching an agreement that limited competition in the pay-TV market.
The matter now moves to the Tribunal, which will decide whether the companies broke competition law.
The Commission alleges that the two companies entered into an agreement involving the supply of set-top boxes – the devices used to access subscription television services.
Altech UEC manufactures these devices, while MultiChoice is a major pay-TV provider in South Africa that uses them to deliver its services.
According to the Commission, the companies agreed in February 2014 that Altech would not compete in certain parts of the pay-TV market where MultiChoice operates.
It says this arrangement effectively divided the market by restricting where and how Altech could compete, which is prohibited under section 4(1)(b)(ii) of the Competition Act.
The Commission’s investigation led to the referral of the case to the Tribunal on 15 April 2026.
It is seeking an order confirming that the companies contravened the Act, as well as administrative penalties of up to 10% of their respective annual turnover.
The Tribunal will now consider the evidence and make a ruling.
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