Naspers’ Netflix competitor to be called ShowMax

Naspers’ soon-to-be-launched video-on-demand service has a name: ShowMax. That’s according to a story published today on the Naspers-owned Channel24 website.

The offering is believed to have been in the works for some time now, with the acquisition of Dubai-based streaming service Icflix, which services a number of countries including Morocco, Egypt, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Tunisia, and Saudi Arabia.

John Kotsaftis, who became the CEO of DStv Digital Media after the merger of DStv Online and DStv Mobile, will reportedly head up the Naspers VOD venture from Dubai.

Read more: Naspers reportedly working on Netflix competitor

According to TechCentral, a “whois” look up of the Showmax domain confirms that it is owned by Naspers.

As we reported earlier this week, Naspers’ hand may have been forced to a degree by Netflix announcing its own plans to launch in South Africa by the end of 2016.

According to a teaser sent out to members of the press, the service will include a number of high-profile series such as Ray Donovan, Big Bang Theory, Vikings and True Blood.