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Nancy Matimu
MD MULTICHOICE KENYA
The choice to celebrate and recognize Nancy Matimu as one of the Top 25 Most Influential CEOs Impacting Business 2022 is the story of ‘How the leading video entertainment company is enriching lives the Kenyan way.’
Upon her assumption of office as the first-ever woman CEO of Multichoice Kenya in 2019, Nancy Matimu took charge with a clear business turn-around strategy in mind: Multichoice Kenya had to more than ever entrench its pole position as the undisputable number one brand within Nancy Matimu within the video entertainment space.
To achieve this objective, Nancy quickly set down to work, pulling together with her leadership team she started from the most expected change management focus area by addressing the often weakest link in the chain, culture.
She focused on evolving the work-ethic and organizational culture using cross leadership framework and redefining a new DNA dubbed SEPETT that was anchored on speed, energy, passion, excellence, trust and teamwork whilst promoting multichoice group behaviours.
Secondly, set out strengthen an already successful business model with a robust focus on customer experience excellence, regionalization and distribution excellence, brand and communications excellence, digital platforms deepening and cost optimization. This led to a highly engaged workforce, accelerated rate of customer acquisition, significant shift in brand consideration, NPS and growth in customer satisfaction.
To achieve this, Nancy embarked on enhancing the DStv and GOtv brand visibility, expanding the distribution network by more than doubling the points of sale across the country, and upgrading to state-of-the-art call centres. Customer service remains critical to the business and MultiChoice has not been left behind.
The company recently upgraded and transitioned to state-of-the-art call centers for its voice and social customer care support. ‘Over the past year, MultiChoice has also improved its self-service platforms on *423#, MyDStv and MyGOtv apps so that customers are able to buy decoders and full kits, change packages, pay the subscriptions, and clear errors amongst other services at their convenience wherever they are’, Nancy states in a recent press release.
The company embarked on enhancing digital customer journeys and deepening use of *423#, MyDStv and MyGOtv digital self-service channels, improving digital viewing experience on DStv app and Showmax platforms. Nancy also directed efforts towards upgrading and refreshing the branches look and feel to deliver a fresh modern, digital, open and collaborative experience.
She also strengthened the quality of partnerships with market renowned players across sales, marketing and operations agencies to elevate the quality of execution in the marketplace. Nearly two years down the line, Nancy through a highly engaged and energized leadership team has not only significantly improved the working environment and culture at Multichoice Kenya, grown the brand positioning, she has also improved the financial health of the Kenya business within this very short span of time.
“Previously, our business operations were centralized in Nairobi as the main hub. However, it became increasing apparent that to grow faster and connect better with our customers and distribution partners across the country it was critical for redesign the operation model and set up the company for success. We divided the country into 5 regions with substantive hubs and heads of regions and in this way regionalized our operations to widen our footprint for a greater reach. We also set out to create presence through dealers and accredited agents across all key towns. Today, we are present in every key town in just about all sub-counties of our country”, revealed Nancy in an earlier interview where Multichoice was celebrated, recognized and ranked as number among the Top 25 Brands Transforming the Lives of Kenyans 2021.
Despite the fact that her appointment came just before the wake of the Covid- 19 Pandemic that affected the organization momentum, Nancy has strategically managed to enhance MultiChoice Kenya’s market leadership position evermore strengthening the business to continue to provide the best video entertainment on DStv and GOtv.
“This has been possible, thanks in great part to our highly engaged employees, accredited dealers who are now moving more volume and connecting more customers than ever, accredited installers and agencies that make our world-class video entertainment service available to more Kenyans. Many homes are now enjoying the quality entertainment we offer on DStv and GOtv,” adds Nancy Matimu.
The transformation journey has been and remains intentional and deliberate. Nancy and her leadership team continue to focus on excellence and have been instrumental in the drive to upgrading MultiChoice Customer Experience Centres countrywide to deliver an improved and modern customer experience, featuring a 360-degree customer service and sales experience.
For instance, MultiChoice Kenya opened state-of-the-art branches and regional headquarters in Kajiado County, located within Ongata Rongai and as far as Nyeri Town, in Nyeri County, some 170 km from the Nairobi hub and some 2 more branches will be upgraded before the end of this financial year.
Further, the company has been on a journey to further expand its DTT GOtv network which is already under construction to add 6 more sites with the first two in Nanyuki and Bomet going live in December 2020 and another 4 in Kitui, Nyahururu, Busia and Kilifi. This will see more customers covered with new network footprint with Kenya’s leading Pay TV services available in these new areas on the more affordable GOtv platform.
In a nutshell, Multichoice, as a service brand, is quickly spreading to where the customers are. “We are listening to our customers to address demand, understand their changing lives, the pressures they face and what matters most to them. We are committed to understanding patterns in the marketplace, using trends, data and clear consumer insights to put customers at the heart of all the decisions that each of us make every day in the organization because we know it is the power that fuels our growth in a hyper competitive world,” revealed Nancy.
As a company, MultiChoice remains true to its brand purpose of enriching lives as a clear purpose-led technology platform business, hosting the best of local and international video entertainment that is specially curated for customers that upholds and celebrates our African culture, norms, practices and traditions.
MultiChoice continues to be the best in sports, kids, general entertainment, documentaries and is rising fast as the choice for quality local entertainment with high grossing shows such as Selina, Kina, Njoro wa Uba, Pete and Hullabaloo estate on its Maisha Magic channel that invests in100% original programming and locally commissioned content from the local creative industry. Multichoice Kenya is a subsidiary of Multichoice Africa Holdings, a MultiChoice group company.
Multichoice currently features eighth globally in linear Pay-Television outside China and top 40 on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE). “We are proud of our rich 26-year legacy in Kenya, our market leadership position and are grateful to our employees, customers and partners who continue to position us as a top brand in video entertainment. We promise to continue bringing the best video stories to all screens including smart devices. Stories that connect our viewers with their humanness, dreams, aspirations, passions and lifestyles. We will remain committed to innovations that are in line with the expectations of our customers to especially grow our online business as we continue to leverage growth using our traditional DTH (direct to home via satellite) and DTT (digital terrestrial transmission) technologies for many Kenyans that still do not have access to affordable high speed broadband internet,” Nancy opines.
On the commercial side, Nancy has recently steered her team to revamp DStv Business packages to ensure different industry sectors like hotels, pubs and clubs, offices, guest houses and serviced apartments are able to grow their businesses with better cashflows and profits.
“We understand that every business has unique needs and we have made it our business to ensure our commercial partners entertainment needs are considered and incorporated in our improvement decisions, based on their feedback. We have simplified and revamped DStv Business packages to connect customers to profits no matter the business size,” says Nancy.
All these team efforts have not gone unnoticed. In May 2021, MultiChoice Kenya walked away with five coveted awards at the fourth edition of the Kuza Awards held by the Communication Authority of Kenya (CA). GOtv clinched two critical compliance awards, the Compliance Award for Subscription Broadcasting Service Provider and emerged overall winner in the compliance award for Broadcast Signal Distributor.
MultiChoice Kenya was also crowned the overall winner of the Subscription Broadcasting Services Award under the local content category, beating well known brands in the coveted category. Gotv also scooped the inaugural overall People’s Choice Award for Favourite Pay TV service with DStv emerging as first runner- up.
“I urge broadcasters to embrace innovation in order to remain competitive and relevant in today’s dynamic broadcasting environment,” said Kenya’s Information, Communication and Technology Principal Secretary in charge of broadcasting, Esther Koimett. These are the MultiChoice Kenya innovation dividends paying off that Nancy alludes to.
“We are a business on a transformational journey at the individual customer level as well as at Multichoice Kenya as an organization. We have chosen the path of an innovative business that’s constantly transforming by anticipating and listening to our customers’ feedback and concerns daily in order to serve and exceed their expectations,” Nancy states.
However, the business is not without challenges. Currently, the biggest risk to the business is piracy which negatively affects every single person working in the entertainment and technology industries, and their supply chains.
“Digital piracy is often portrayed as a victimless crime, but that portrayal is false. Piracy has a detrimental effect on any industry and will lead to the long-term erosion of the industry,” says Nancy, revealing that Multichoice is working closely with Government of Kenya to tackle this menace.
When not handling matters MultiChoice, Nancy dedicates her time to serving on the boards of local and global firms. She is currently serving as the Vice-Chair of the KCA University Council in addition to being the Chair in-charge of the strategy and business development board committee.
Nancy is also a member of the global board of trustees for Education sub-Saharan Africa (ESSA) where she serves as the Business Engagement Lead. Nancy has had an illustrious 15-year career, having led and driven growth through transformation of businesses, capacity building in brand, products and innovation as well as sales and operational excellence, in her previous tours of duty, that have included top local and global brands.
Prior to joining MultiChoice Kenya, Nancy was the Vice-President, Head Market Development sub-Saharan Africa at MasterCard.
She previously served in HFC Bank as the Chief Digital and Marketing Officer and Safaricom where she held various roles including Head of Safaricom Home and Content (Emerging Business – Home Fixed Broadband and Content Business Development), Head of Department Consumer Products and Services, Head of Department Internet and Content, Head of Department Enterprise Products and Innovation.
Nancy also served at Airtel Africa as the General Manager, Marketing and Head of Products and Innovation Revenue Management. Nancy holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree in Strategic Management from Strathmore University Business School (SUBS), a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies from Kenyatta University (KU) and a Post Graduate Diploma in Marketing from the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) in the UK.
She is also a graduate of the Advanced Management Program (AMP) and Chief Executive Program (CEP) from Strathmore, IESE and Lagos Business Schools and has also pursued executive education courses with INSEAD, Duke University corporate education and Harvard Business School.
As Nancy continues to make significant strides in the digital economy she was recognized as an honoree in the top 100 most influential women in Africa 2020 edition that are advancing positive transformation on the continent for Excellence in Leadership and Performance, Personal accomplishments, Commitment to sharing knowledge, Breaking the Status Quo and Being an accomplished African Woman.
Nancy Matimu is 2022 Business Monthly East Africa Top 25 Most Influential CEO Impacting Business.
