Exploitative Multinational Service Providing Conglomerates: The case of Multichoice Zambia
As a people, we need to wake up and guard ourselves against consumer exploitation, especially by monopolistic service providers. Not very long ago, when Zamtel(Now Airtel) and Telecel (Now MTN) just burst onto the Zambian cellular network scene, their conditions and rates were exploitative and abhorrent. I remember Zamcel wanted us to be using at least $20 of talk time every week, failure to which you got disconnected. There were many other such draconian conditions that we were forced to live with, and because we needed to stay connected, the company ripped us off. When Cell Z joined the market, most of these conditions were dropped and some sanity was established. I swore that I would never ever use Airtel as long as MTN and Zamtel existed. I felt cheated by the organisation and powerless as an individual to stop the carnage earlier, even though everyone understood how exploitative the organisation was as usual, our politicians were quiet.
The biggest problem that we have as a nation, is that regulators who are established for the sole purpose of protecting consumers are turning a blind eye to the so obvious unfair treatment of the consumer. It isn’t an oversight, on their part, but the result of subtle and deliberate manipulation by the multinational companies. There is corruption that makes our politicians and quasi government institutions turn a blind eye and allow for these unfair business practices to continue.
This brings me to the issue of Multichoice Zambia. It is common knowledge that this company operates in many countries across Africa. This company is South African, and offers the same services in its home country. A quick comparison of how they are conducting their business in South Africa, reveals that they are charging South Africans the equivalent of K720($45) for a full bouquet. In Zambia, we are paying K1100 plus K140 for PVR services (total K1240, or $80). That’s almost double.
Now, this is day light robbery! Our hard earned money is consumed on poor entertainment content, Movies are repeated and their documentaries are old. Only takes little intelligence that one has, it isn’t difficult to understand that we are being duped. The biggest problem is that the provider understands that he has no competitor on the market, and even if their service is substandard, they will get away with it because Zambians love soccer. They will still pay. We are glued to DSTV, in the same way a drug addict is to a drug supplier. Even when we know the content isn’t worth half of what we are being charged, we still want to pay in order to watch soccer…
Over the many years that this company of thieves have been in Zambia, their rates have been sensitive to the dollar – Kwacha exchange rates, and they have been using it to exploit the consumer. Now that the Kwacha is gaining, the rascals are quiet. Why should Zambians be exploited like this? We need to unite, as consumers and boycott their product. I know this is easier said than done, but we are getting together with some other interested consumers to start a campaign to sensitize the masses and encourage them to boycott DSTV. They are a bunch of thieves.
Let’s stop the exploitation. We have the power to do it as consumers. Amasuku batulila sana pa mitwe.
By Peter Mautho Ndolo