DStv targets price-sensitive viewers with decoder cuts

MultiChoice’s DStv is doubling down on affordability as competitors from streaming platforms intensifies. The pay-TV big, now majority-owned by France’s Canal+, introduced on Tuesday that it has reduce decoder costs, expanded entry-level content material, and launched a cost-sharing characteristic designed to maintain price-sensitive households on board in South Africa.

Since October 2025, following its takeover of MultiChoice, Canal+ has been rolling out measures to win again viewers. Previously two monetary years, Multichoice misplaced 2.8 million energetic linear subscribers. Within the 2025 monetary yr alone, the decline was 1.2 million subscribers, representing an 8% drop in comparison with the earlier yr.  

These losses had been break up evenly between South Africa and the remainder of Africa. With greater than 560 streaming companies now accessible throughout the continent, competitors has intensified, forcing MultiChoice to rethink its pricing, product choices, and digital technique.

On the {hardware} degree, DStv has made everlasting the reductions it tried throughout latest promotions. The HD Single View decoder now prices R499 ($31), down from R899 ($56), whereas the worth with set up has been decreased from R1,299 ($81) to R799 ($50). The Explora 3B decoder has dropped from R2,299 (about $143) to R1,499 ($93) with an online-only deal reducing the worth additional to R999 ($62). 

Even the premium Explora Extremely has seen a modest discount, falling by R300 ($19) to R2,999 ($143). The promotional costs will stay in place till April 30, 2026, and can be found by way of service centres, businesses, retailers, and on-line.

DStv can also be strengthening its entry-level Entry package deal by including three new channels at no further value: Hint Ngoma, Hint Gospel, and WWE. The additions are geared toward households underneath monetary strain, providing extra worth on the lowest tier of service as shoppers proceed to chop again on discretionary spending.

Maybe essentially the most vital change is the introduction of a payment-splitting characteristic within the MyDStv app, which permits a major account holder to share the price of a subscription with one different contributor by sending a fee hyperlink, splitting the month-to-month invoice between two individuals. The characteristic is designed for households or co-living preparations the place prices are shared.

Alongside these modifications, DStv says it’s persevering with to push its Rewards programme, which permits subscribers to redeem DStv Cash to offset subscription prices. Canal+ claims that for the reason that launch of the programme in October 2025, greater than 20 million cash have been redeemed. The programme additionally consists of competitions tied to rewards cash and FIFA World Cup experiences, although MultiChoice has not disclosed what number of prospects actively use it.

These options are accessible by way of the MyDStv app, MultiChoice’s central hub for account administration, funds, and rewards. By reducing {hardware} prices, enriching entry-level packages, and enabling shared funds, DStv is betting that affordability and suppleness will assist it maintain floor in opposition to streaming platforms in a market the place South African shoppers stay underneath vital monetary pressure.

New decoder costs for DStv South Africa