Big DStv competitor in South Africa where you only pay once
South Africans can get eMedia’s satellite TV product, Openview, and watch it indefinitely for a one-time fee to install and activate the service.
Unlike MultiChoice’s DStv, which involves hardware and subscription costs, Openview only charges R799 for its decoder, and installation can bring this once-off price to between R1,500 and R2,500.
The total cost of installation depends on what is required. For example, a household with an existing satellite dish and cabling could simply plug the Openview decoder in themselves.
Meanwhile, a fresh installation requiring a dish and the relevant cabling could set a household back R2,500.
According to eMedia, households that install Openview would benefit from 22 live TV channels and 29 radio channels.
TV channels include the E-tv suite, including E-tv, eExtra, eMovies, eMovies Extra, eReality, ePlesier, eToonz, and eSeries, as well as several other channels:
- SABC 1, 2, and 3
- StarLife
- Zee One
- The Home Channel +
- StarKhanya
- People’s Planet
- France 24
- DBETV
- SABC Sport
- SportyTV
- Mindset
- SA Music
With Openview +More, viewers need an Internet connection to access on-demand movies, series, and documentaries, as well as Catch-Up functionality for various programmes.
The satellite TV service announced a significant milestone in February 2026, when it surpassed 3.8 million decoder activations in South Africa.
“The figure marks more than a decade of steady growth for the free-to-view satellite platform and underscores the resilience of broadcast television,” Openview said.
“In a local industry that continues to evolve, with streaming services, digital platforms, and on-demand content reshaping how audiences engage, broadcast TV remains a significant and resilient force.”
The company noted that the launch of +More has helped it to keep pace, without departing from what made Openview a household name.
“Underpinning this growth is a programming catalogue that has developed steadily over the years, with channels and content that have found a committed audience across the country,” Openview said.
“The 3.8 million activation figure reflects that ongoing relationship between platform and viewer.”
Affordability comparison with DStv
MyBroadband determined how long it would take for the costs associated with DStv Access, its most affordable package, to exceed the cost of an Openview installation.
The Openview decoder is more expensive at R799 than the DStv Single View HD decoder, which costs R499 with installation.
The installation of an Openview decoder costs between R1,500 and R2,500, once-off, including the decoder. The installation cost varies based on individual household requirements.
Our analysis found that the price of DStv Access would equal the cost of Openview within two months, where the customer only needed the decoder and no additional installation.
The same DStv subscription would surpass the Openview installation costs of R1,500 for households with some existing satellite TV equipment by month seven.
It would take more than a year for the cost of DStv Access to surpass the cost of a R2,500 Openview installation where the household requires a fresh satellite TV installation.
The chart below tracks the time it will take for the cost of a DStv Access decoder installation and its monthly subscription fees to exceed the once-off cost of Openview.
We included three scenarios. Scenario A is for an Openview installation where the household had a dish and existing cabling, which costs around R1,500.
Scenario B is for a fresh Openview installation at a household with no satellite TV equipment, which costs around R2,500. We then also included a comparison to the cost of just the Openview decoder.
Openview versus DStv
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