Showmax CEO Yolisa Phahle exits African streamer

Yolisa Phahle, CEO of African streamer Showmax, is stepping down from the company after almost two decades, with Marc Jury appointed as interim chief.

Phahle’s departure was announced in a memo to staff from Calvo Mawela, CEO of Showmax parent company MultiChoice this week, who wrote: “It is with mixed emotions to announce that our Showmax CEO, Yolisa Phahle, is making her way into the next chapter of her career.”

Jury stepped in as interim CEO on 1 September as the search for a permanent successor gets underway, with Phahle staying on to offer “full time advisory support” to Jury for the next six months.

From March 2024, Phahle will spend a year as a consultant, reporting to Jury, who will run both Showmax and MultiChoice’s South African operations, until Phahle’s replacement is found.

Phahle joined MultiChoice-owned M-Net in 2005 as general manager of Channel O and served as channels director for local channels in South Africa, launching the Mzansi Magic networks.

She was named M-Net CEO in 2015, before moving to Showmax, where she has commissioned original titles including Spinners, Outlaws and The Billionaire’s Wife.

Speaking to TBI in June, Phahle said that Showmax was “very excited” about its then-impending relaunch, in partnership with Comcast’s NBCUniveral and Sky. The service is now 70% owned by MultiChoice and 30% by NBCUniversal, with the companies aim to “create the leading streaming service in Africa”.