Africa’s biggest pay-TV operator, MultiChoice, is ringing in leadership changes.

The company has appointed Nyiko Shiburi as CEO of its SA operations, and Marc Jury as the new CEO of SuperSport, both effective December 1.

In a note to staff, group CEO Calvo Mawela said Shiburi, who has been the company’s regional director for southern Africa for the past two and a half years, “has proven to be an extremely competent executive and has had to navigate the complexity of multiple territories and multiple businesses each uniquely different and uniquely complex”.

Mawela said Shiburi, who started his MultiChoice career at DStv Mobile as a project manager in 2007, had been intimately involved in product development of decoders, and understood broadcast technology.

“He ably dealt with macro issues such as economic meltdown, drought that impacted electricity supply, tax issues, currency devaluations, regulatory issues, acquiring new licences, political and people challenges, and has shown resilience and nimbleness.”

Shiburi will be replaced as regional director for southern Africa markets by Fhulu Badugela, a former group executive head of human resources at MultiChoice Africa. She was previously operations director at M-Net.

“Her leadership and broader MultiChoice Group exposure has seen Fhulu achieve a great track record of leading operational excellence and enabling a high performance culture, and will help us drive forward the MultiChoice Africa Holdings business turnaround,” Mawela said.

Clement O’ Reilly takes over as group executive head of human resources.

Mawela also announced that Jury had taken over Supersport CEO.

Jury is currently responsible for managing negotiations and acquiring all sports-related programming across the SuperSport channels, as well as overseeing the marketing of that content.

He was previously head of commercial and marketing for Cricket SA, commercial executive at sports marketing firm SAIL, managing director for IFM Sport Marketing Surveys SA, and an account director at United Media Entertainment Group in London.

“Marc has always had a great affinity to sport, and this together with his passion for motivating people and getting the best out of those around him makes him the best candidate for the role,” Mawela told staff.

Gideon Khobane, current CEO of SuperSport, is now the group executive for general entertainment, which is responsible for programming across all the pay operator’s platforms.

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