Ghana's High Commissioner to South Africa, Benjamin Quarshie, has disclosed that South Africa's Foreign Minister is willing to visit Ghana to engage with relevant bodies regarding the ongoing impasse involving the Minister of Communications, Samuel Nartey George, the National Communications Authority (NCA), and MultiChoice, operators of DStv and GOtv.
The expected visit follows a month-long standoff between Samuel George and MultiChoice over what he describes as exorbitant subscription fees and inadequate price regulation.
In a social media post on Friday night, September 5, 2025, Samuel George threatened to shut down MultiChoice Ghana by Saturday, September 6, 2025, unless the company immediately reduced its subscription fees, which he described as exploitative.
Speaking on Diplomatic Affairs on Joy News, as monitored by GhanaWeb Business, Quarshie announced that officials from South Africa are ready to help address the situation amicably, stating that the negotiation table has already been set.
“I have prior information indicating that Pretoria is willing to negotiate whatever is happening. The Foreign Affairs Minister has been very instrumental in this, and I'm confident that conversations have already taken place between her and the Minister of Communications. I believe what we’re all trying to achieve is quality service at an affordable price for our people, and I’m optimistic that negotiations are ongoing. We will be able to resolve this,” he stated.
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Addressing regulatory and diplomatic ties, Quarshie expressed optimism that the ongoing tensions would be resolved in a way that strengthens Ghana’s bilateral and trade relationship with South Africa.
“We should handle this in the boardroom. As I mentioned, the Foreign Affairs Minister has spoken to them and indicated that we’ll resolve it through dialogue. If you’ve read the communiqué from the Communications Minister, it’s clear that he’s simply enforcing what he believes the regulator is mandated to do,” he added.
South African Foreign Minister to touch down in Ghana in an attempt to resolve impasse between MultiChoice and Communication Minister, Sam George, over DStv subscription prices#JoyNews pic.twitter.com/mQ5BHa1wD6
— JoyNews (@JoyNewsOnTV) September 8, 2025
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