Good news for people who have DStv

MultiChoice has slashed DStv decoder prices, launched split billing, and suspended annual price increases to make the service more attractive.

This comes after Canal+ acquired the MultiChoice Group (MCG) in late 2025 and developed a turnaround plan for the pay-TV provider.

As part of the plan, Canal+ wants to make MultiChoice profitable again and leverage the combined scale of both companies across Africa.

Following the acquisition, the combined Canal+ and MultiChoice entity had 42.3 million subscribers in Africa.

It generated revenues of 8.7 billion euros and earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation (EBITDA) of over 1 billion euros.

MultiChoice had a negative impact on earnings from the inertia of its subscriber base, driving a decrease in revenues, and from cost inflation.

However, Canal+ has launched a growth plan for MultiChoice and is investing R1.9 billion to bolster subscriber numbers.

This investment is aimed at restarting subscriber growth to counter a recent decline in subscriber numbers.

As part of this plan, it is combining forces to produce quality local content and maintain key sports rights for DStv.

SuperSport is the world’s premier live sports offering, and the company said that it will maintain this position.

MultiChoice is also streamlining DStv pricing, branding, and marketing to enhance customer value and make offers more appealing.

A significant part of the plan is to complete a secondary inward listing of CANAL+ on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) by the first half of 2026.

This move is intended to improve liquidity in the group’s shares and enable South African investors to become shareholders in the newly combined global entity.

Good news for DStv subscribers

The benefits of the new MultiChoice strategy have already started to filter down to DStv subscribers in South Africa.

For the first time in decades, MultiChoice did not increase the price of its DStv products in South Africa on 1 April.

MultiChoice has also made it easier for DStv subscribers to split their bills with others who benefit from their accounts.

DStv launched the feature in January 2026, and customers in South Africa can subscribe to the DStv Stream Premium package for R399 per month.

Alternatively, they can get a decoder package for as low as R15 per month with the EasyView package or R75 per month with the decoder-based Access subscription.

MultiChoice has also significantly reduced the price of its DStv decoders, making the service more affordable for people to access.

These initiatives are part of the plan to accelerate subscriber growth by lowering entry costs through equipment subsidies.

This is only the start. Canal+ Africa CEO David Mignot said that DStv subscribers can expect an enhanced product offering in future.

Canal+ has the most extensive library of European content. DStv customers should expect its catalogue to be combined with MultiChoice’s.

“MultiChoice content is incredible. We will have the ability to use the strengths of the two groups,” said Mignot.

“Customers can expect all that is available at Canal+. We have the biggest library of European content, including a lot of American content, including 9,000 movies,” he said.

He added that, combined, Canal+ and MultiChoice’s catalogues would provide roughly 10,000 hours of content in 20 to 35 languages each year.

“So, in a 10- to 15-year period, we are building up a catalogue of more than 100,000 to 150,000 hours, and then we will be able to make that content travel,” said Mignot.