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MultiChoice Kenya has injected $573.8 million (Sh59.3 billion) into the Kenyan economy between 2015 and 2019.

According to a socio-economic impact report by the firm, since setting up business in 1995 as a joint venture with the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation, Multichoice has directly employed 181 people and created more than 200,000 jobs through its value chain consisting of distributors, installers and ancillary suppliers.

Entertainment business

According to Vibhar Rathi, a lead consultant with Accenture Strategy ,which carried out the study, between April 1, 2015 and March 31, 2019, MultiChoice core business of entertainment injected $219.3 million (Sh22.7 billion) to the local economy.

“This included $17.5 million (Sh1.8 billion) in direct taxes, while $69.6 million (Sh7.2 billion) has been paid in indirect taxes. An additional $1.2 million (Sh124 million) was paid in regulatory fee and up to $110 million (Sh11.4 billion) in gross domestic product uplift from employment was generated.

The report, released yesterday, based its findings on MultiChoice contribution in the creation of employment, investment in local content and its corporate social investment initiatives that impacted on people within the company’s business ecosystem.

 “It provides an overview of the impact that Multichoice has both on internal and external stakeholders and places the company in the context of the entire Kenyan economy while demonstrating the success of the business over the years under review,” said Ruth Omondi, MultiChoice acting finance manager.

The company has contributed $138 million (Sh14.3 billion) in creation of local content through its local channels, SuperSport, where it airs the popular Maisha Magic show, with an additional $1.2 million (Sh124 million) splashed to sponsor local football tournaments, in total contributing $81.7 million (Sh8.4 billion) to the country’s GDP.