Piracy is a devastating criminal act that erodes the income of not only the creators of content and sports rights holders – but the creatives who never get to see a cent from their original pieces of work.
Speaking at the opening day of MIP Africa’s FAME Week, chairperson of the Copyright Coalition of South Africa and Partners Against Piracy (PAP) Chola Makgamathe, called on members of the public to stop using illegal platforms to stream live sports and entertainment content.
She said intermediaries should respond quicker to take down pirated content from the illegal websites.
“Piracy is not a victimless hack. It is pay cheques that never arrive, crews that are never booked and stories that never get made. If we want a thriving creative economy, three things must move together,” she said.
“First, informed consumers who choose legal platforms and call out illegal ones. Second, intermediaries that act quickly on takedown requests. Third, modern, digital-ready legislation that lets enforcement move at the speed of the internet. When those pieces click, we protect jobs and we protect our culture,” she said.
Read more: Cracking the piracy code by Frikkie Jonker, director of Anti-Piracy Cybersecurity Services at MultiChoice Group.
The PAP panel was moderated by Waldimar Pelser (channel director: premium channels, MultiChoice) and featured Chola Makgamathe (chairperson, Copyright Coalition of South Africa and PAP), Janine Jellars (author, editor and content director), Shane Wafer (executive head of legal, SuperSport) and Edward Mnisi (Southern Africa anti-piracy manager, Irdeto). The conversation formed part of PAP’s ongoing programme to protect African storytelling and the livelihoods behind it.
Candid conversation
The candid discussion traced how piracy has shifted and multiplied in the digital era. Music remains a soft target, with illegal circulation normalised on social platforms and private channels. In 2023, there were 17.1 billion visits to music piracy sites – a 13.4% increase from the year before, while piracy rose by 6.5%. TV piracy dominated, accounting for over 45%of total traffic[1].
Film and television content is routinely clipped and re-uploaded, while Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) set-ups and subscription services that look legitimate blur lines for viewers. Publishing is hit just as hard, where entire books are traded and downloaded without a cent reaching the author.
The perception that “everyone does it” still drives behaviour, yet the fallout is concrete: lost investment, cancelled productions and fewer jobs on set and behind the scenes.
Gaps in the system
The session also unpacked gaps in the system. South Africa still lacks a modern notice-and-takedown mechanism, which makes swift removal of illegal content difficult. Current law was built for an analogue world and lags behind the realities of digital distribution and AI-enabled replication.
SuperSport outlined its focus on pursuing distributors rather than end-users, while Irdeto detailed the use of forensic watermarking and internet trawling to trace and shut down pirate feeds at source. These tools work, but require resources and rapid coordination across broadcasters, platforms and the authorities.
Education a priority
Education came through as a priority thread. The panel called for stronger awareness in schools and communities about how “free” content is often stolen content, and for closer coordination across government departments such as Justice, Communications, Trade and Industry, Science and Innovation and Labour. There was also a frank exchange on the responsibility of global platforms to act faster on reported infringements.
To keep the conversation going with the public, PAP’s interactive activation remains open inside CTICC 2 until Wednesday, 3 September. Visitors can walk the Piracy Maze, engage with quick learning pods across books, music, gaming and video, complete bite-size challenges and collect instant prizes at the PAP booth. The activation makes a complex issue simple, and gives every attendee practical steps to support legal content.
PAP is a coalition of industry, technology and public-sector partners committed to eradicating piracy across the continent, safeguarding intellectual property and sustaining local jobs. MultiChoice and Irdeto continue to support PAP’s enforcement, education and technology efforts alongside broadcasters, creators and the wider ecosystem.
Report piracy: Tips can be shared anonymously on +27 11 289 2684 or piracy@multichoice.co.za.
