Good news for South Africans who subscribe to DStv
MultiChoice has launched numerous initiatives to make its DStv service more attractive, including lower decoder prices, split billing, and better streaming content.
DStv is South Africa’s dominant pay-TV service, offering subscribers a mix of live sport, movies, TV series, news, documentaries, and kids programmes.
The service has gained millions of subscribers in South Africa over the last three decades due to its quality content.
DStv’s unmatched entertainment, including its world-class SuperSport offering, made it a must-have for anyone who could afford it.
However, things changed over the last few years with the rapid growth of global streaming platforms like Netflix, Disney+, and Amazon Prime Video.
Many South African households under financial pressure migrated from DStv to lower-cost streaming services to save money.
In the 2025 financial year, MultiChoice reported losing 589,000 DStv subscribers in South Africa. This trend accelerated in recent years.
Part of MultiChoice’s strategy was to take on Netflix and Disney+ through its own streaming service, Showmax.
However, Showmax announced that it will discontinue its streaming service on 30 April 2026 as its substantial annual losses were unsustainable.
Curiously, these events are good news for DStv subscribers as they will benefit from MultiChoice’s initiatives to bolster its subscriber numbers.
After Canal+ acquired MultiChoice in late 2025, it developed a turnaround and integration plan for MultiChoice to restore profitable growth.
This plan includes pumping around R2 billion into the company to enhance the attractiveness of DStv and stem subscriber declines.
Users will now benefit from better content, simplified commercial offers, more aggressive prices, and better promotions.
No DStv price increases in 2026
For the first time in decades, MultiChoice did not increase the price of its DStv products in South Africa on 1 April.
MultiChoice CEO Willington Ngwepe told MyBroadband that DStv prices will remain unchanged in South Africa this year.
“We will not be having an inflation adjustment to pricing. So we’ll keep the prices flat again in appreciation of the circumstances that we are in,” Ngwepe said.
Another positive development for DStv subscribers was the introduction of bill splitting in January 2026.
This service allows subscribers to share their bills with another person, making it more affordable for individuals in the same household.
Bill splitting allows the primary holder of a DStv account to use the MyDStv app to send a payment link to split the monthly bill.
MultiChoice confirmed to MyBroadband that the feature applies to all month-to-month decoder and streaming DStv packages.
“Currently, you can only split your DStv bill with one other person, but there are plans to enable splitting the bill with more than just one household member,” it stated.
“The feature reflects the reality of shared living arrangements, where subscription costs are often divided across households.”
Lower DStv decoder prices
MultiChoice has significantly reduced the price of its DStv decoders, making the service more affordable for people to access the service.
This forms part of the plan to accelerate subscriber growth by lowering entry costs through equipment subsidies.
DStv is maintaining its lower upfront hardware costs in 2026, including the promotional price of the entry-level HD decoder at R499.
MultiChoice has also lowered the price of its DStv Explora decoders by up to 57%, serving the higher end of the market.
The discounted pricing makes it more affordable for people to join DStv or for existing customers to replace older equipment or add an extra TV.
“What matters now is how DStv fits into people’s lives and budgets month after month,” said Ngwepe.
“We want customers to have options that make it easier to stay connected, even when budgets are tight.”
Better content on DStv packages
At the start of the year, DStv strengthened its Access package by adding three channels: Trace Ngoma, Trace Gospel, and WWE.
The additions broaden the mix of music, faith and live entertainment available on one of DStv’s most affordable packages.
With the closure of Showmax, MultiChoice announced that Showmax Originals and other titles are moving to DStv Stream.
This content is now available in a dedicated Showmax section within the DStv Stream app at no additional cost.
The move ensures the Showmax content remains widely available after the Showmax service closes on 30 April 2026.
Showmax Originals and other content will be available to DStv Compact and DStv Premium satellite and streaming-only customers via the DStv Stream app.
MultiChoice added that the stories that defined Showmax are not disappearing. Instead, they are finding a new home on DStv Stream.
DStv Rewards programme
MultiChoice launched DStv Coins as part of its broader DStv Rewards programme in October 2025, which is experiencing strong uptake.
People can pay for their DStv subscriptions using DStv Coins. Since launch, customers have redeemed more than 20 million DStv Coins.
This was used to offset the cost of their DStv subscriptions through both full and hybrid coins-and-cash payments.
It gives customers greater flexibility in managing their monthly subscription and reinforces Rewards as an ongoing benefit rather than a one-off promotion.
“The rewards programme is positioned as an ongoing benefit for loyal customers rather than a short-term promotion,” MultiChoice said.
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