Broadcasting
Across the Generational Divide, Businesses Can Win with Generative AI that’s Safe, Accurate, and Easy-to-Use
Zuko Mdwaba, Salesforce Area VP / Africa Executive & South Africa Country Leader
Generation Z will determine the extent to which generative AI will truly advance how we live and work.
Photography for SAS in April 2017 by Jeremy Glyn.
Born into a world of smartphones, virtual assistants, and the Internet, the level of comfort among ‘digital natives’ with the pace of technological change and its impact on society will be a driving force behind AI’s widespread adoption.
Global research released by Salesforce – Generative AI Snapshot Research: The AI Divide – shows that over one-third of current users are “super-users,” tapping generative AI daily and planning to use it even more. The data also shows that half of all consumers have never used the technology and claim their knowledge of generative AI is limited or non-existent.
Specifically among Gen Z, Salesforce research shows that 70% of Gen Z uses the technology – compared to only 23% of Baby Boomers – and almost half believe they are on their way to mastering it.
However, Gen Z’s ability to trust generative AI is just as important as its ability to make everyone’s life easier. Perhaps more than any other generation, they demand technology with a conscience. They want to understand how generative AI works and ensure it is secure or safe. They want to be confident, for example, that their information won’t be used elsewhere without their consent.
There’s good news for businesses worried about consumers who self-report as non-adopters, unfamiliar with generative AI and unclear how the technology will impact their life. Nearly half say they would use generative AI if it was easier to use or integrated into technology they already have. 51% say things might change if companies were more transparent about how they were using it.
There are three steps leaders can take as they explore, build, and implement successful AI platforms.
1) Bridge the gap between how Gen Z uses AI and how they want to use it
Despite the hype around how it can make our lives easier, 38% of generative AI users are only using it for fun.
That being said, Gen Z is keen to leverage AI in the workplace to help streamline their productivity. They also want it integrated into the tools they’re already using. As organisations build and implement AI, focusing on tools that make workers more productive can increase adoption and decrease resistance, accelerating a company into the future.
2) Embed transparent and ethical AI practices
In order to address the ethical concerns of Gen Z, including issues like bias, privacy, and data transparency, and to uphold their trust, it’s important that leaders guarantee that AI tools and platforms offer transparent explanations for their actions. In specific instances, it may be necessary to involve a human in the process to rectify any issues or errors.
3) Foster collaboration amongst those that are comfortable with generative AI, and those who make those business decisions
The employees responsible for the everyday decisions that drive a company forward are the ones that, according to the research, do not currently leverage generative AI and don’t fully comprehend it. This knowledge gap leads to differing opinions on where resources should go and technology funding priorities.
If companies fail to bridge the divide between AI proponents and those who are resistant to it, they are likely to encounter challenges in effectively harnessing the potential of this emerging technology.
A major shake‑up rocks viewers and subscribers of DSTV/GOTV as many channels are set to shut down and be removed on January 1, 2026.
The trigger for the upcoming shut‑down is a breakdown in negotiations between the owners of multiple global channels and the pay‑TV operator.
As of December 2025, the deal between Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) and DStv/GOtv has expired and the two parties have not reached a renewal agreement.
Without a new carriage/distribution agreement, the channels belonging to WBD risk being pulled off the DStv/GOtv line‑up.
This is the most significant content cutback the service has seen in years.
The affected channels are:
Discovery Channel
TLC
Cartoonito
Cartoon Network
CNN International
Food Network
The Travel Channel
TNT
Investigation Discovery
Real Time
HGTV
Discovery Family
Paramount Africa is officially shutting down at the end of December 2025, drawing the curtain on more than two decades of operations in South Africa and Nigeria.
The company, which once reached over 100 million viewers across 52 African territories, confirmed it will close its doors as part of a massive global restructuring at its parent company, Paramount Global.
This is the same Paramount Africa behind channels like BET, MTV, MTV Base, Comedy Central, Nickelodeon, and more.
Its digital footprint has also been significant, with millions of monthly page views, social media engagements, and content partnerships across Africa.
But despite that scale, rising costs and a global strategic reset have caught up with the business.
Paramount’s retrenchment has been building for months.
Earlier this year, plans to launch a standalone Paramount+ app in South Africa were quietly shelved.
Then in August, the company said its content would remain available only via DStv and Showmax.
And last month, MultiChoice confirmed that BET Africa and MTV Base will disappear from DStv and GOtv on January 1, 2026, as Paramount Africa winds down entirely.
The shutdown is tied to aggressive cost-cutting after Paramount’s merger with Skydance. The company is targeting a 15% reduction in global staff and $3 billion in savings.
International divisions, including Africa, have taken the hardest hit as the business pivots away from linear TV and doubles down on a more streamlined streaming-first model.
At the same time, the global media landscape is being shaken by Warner Bros. Discovery’s chaotic auction. Netflix, Paramount, and Comcast have all submitted fresh bids for WBD, with some offers reportedly focusing on the studios-and-streaming division, home to HBO, HBO Max, DC, and Warner Bros. Pictures.
Analysts say the crown jewel bundle could go for as much as $70 billion, a deal that would reshape Hollywood and accelerate the decline of traditional TV.
DStv subscribers may lose access to 12 major Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) channels, including CNN International, Discovery Channel, TLC, and Cartoon Network, from Jan. 1, 2026, if MultiChoice and WBD fail to conclude a new distribution agreement.
DStv
MultiChoice, now owned by Canal+, issued a notice to customers on Monday, warning that its current carriage deal with WBD will expire on Dec. 31, 2025, and negotiations to renew the contract remain inconclusive.
“While discussions between the parties continue, no agreement has been reached at this stage. If this remains unchanged, several Warner Bros. Discovery channels may no longer be available on DStv from Jan. 1, 2026,” the company said.
The channels at risk include Discovery Channel, CNN International, TLC, Discovery Family, Real Time, TNT Africa, Food Network, HGTV, Investigation Discovery, Cartoon Network, Cartoonito, and Travel Channel.
The development comes amid subscriber losses for MultiChoice, which has shed 2.8 million active linear subscribers over the last two financial years.
This includes 1.2 million customers lost in 2025 alone, representing an 8 per cent decline across South Africa and the rest of Africa.
In Nigeria, MultiChoice has lost 1.4 million subscribers in the past two years, largely due to repeated subscription price increases, according to Nairametrics.
The broadcaster is also set to lose additional content in the coming months. Paramount Africa will discontinue BET Africa and MTV Base from Jan. 1, 2026, while CBS Reality and CBS Justice will cease operations on Dec. 31, 2025.
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