In February, members of South Africa’s Provincial Commercial Investigation Unit teamed with MultiChoice and its technology arm Irdeto to arrest an individual suspected of selling stolen services. Two mobile phones were seized.
In a second law enforcement action on March 5, another individual suspected of illegal streaming was raided and another phone was seized. That suspect appeared in court the next day. Upon gaining access to the service platform, investigators found more than 800 user accounts, most of which were active.
In both cases, forensic analysis is being conducted on the seized phones,searching for further evidence of criminal activity.
March sentencing in earlier case
On March 3rd, a person was found guilty of fraud, unlawful acts in respect of software or hardware tools in contravention of section 4(2) of the Cybercrimes Act (South Africa), and unlawful interception of data in terms of section 3(1) of the Act. For these crimes, they were given a five year sentence that was suspended for five years on condition the accused is not convicted of any other crimes that contravene the Cybercrimes Act.
- Section 3: Unlawful interception of data, such as spying on communications or accessing data.
- Section 4: Unlawful possession or use of software/hardware tools (e.g., password cracking, malware) for hacking.
- Section 8: Cyber fraud, which includes misrepresentation through digital means.
February sentences
On February 12th, a person was convicted of unlawfully providing passwords or access codes and cyber fraud in the Worcester Regional Court. That came with a sentence of eight years, wholly suspended. The accused has been placed under 36 months of correctional supervision which includes house arrest, 16 hours of community service every month and participation in rehab programmes.
A second February 12th case in the same court saw an accused found guilty for unlawful access, unlawful acts in respect of software or hardware tools, and cyber fraud. The court imposed suspended sentences of five and eight years’ imprisonment for the first two counts, respectively. For the cyber fraud charge, the accused was also sentenced to 36 months of correctional supervision, including house arrest, community service, and participation in social programmes.
Why it matters
“These outcomes form part of sustained anti-piracy enforcement efforts led by MultiChoice and Irdeto, working alongside law enforcement agencies to detect, investigate and prosecute illegal streaming operations. The arrests, prosecutions and sentencing send a clear signal that cybercrime and content piracy will not be tolerated,” noted Tobias Maja, Senior Anti-Piracy Manager at Irdeto.
After being acquired by Canal+ in 2025, MultiChoice must perform financially. Some of this is out of MultiChoice’s control, including the impact of inflation and decreasing demand for pay TV services. MultiChoice’s ShowMax service is to be cancelled after losing R2.9 billion (equivalent to about US$171 million). Company executives announced a corrective plan that includes a focus on content, marketing to attract new subscribers, and operational practices that include anti-piracy.
Further reading
MultiChoice, Irdeto lead crackdown on illegal streaming syndicates in Western Cape. Article. March 12, 2026. TechFinancials (South Africa)
MultiChoice expects to lose at least R2.9 billion in 2026 – here’s hte plan to save it. Article. March 11, 2026. by Tshehla Cornelius Koteli. The Citizen (South Africa)
