South Africa: DStv’s Biggest Overhaul in 15 Years — Five New Packages and Prices
Business: South Africa
Key Facts
—Overhaul. MultiChoice replaced DStv’s package line-up on 17 September 2026 — the biggest product update in 15 years and the first major move since Canal+’s takeover.
—New tiers. Five streaming packages: Starter (R99), Select (R299), Sports (R399), Movies & Series (R500) and Premium (R799) per month.
—Premium cut. Premium now costs R799 with the access fee included — what it cost “about 10 years ago” — for customers on a 24-month Price Lock.
—Migration. Existing subscribers were moved automatically; Compact Plus customers go to Premium at their current charge for 12 months. No package increased in price.
—Sport split. All Premier League and Champions League football sits on the R399 Sports tier; Springbok rugby, Formula 1, golf and tennis majors remain Premium-only.
DStv subscribers in South Africa woke up on 17 September to the pay-TV platform’s biggest shake-up in 15 years: five new packages, a cheaper Premium and, for the first time, sport sold separately — Canal+’s opening bid to stop the subscriber bleeding.
What Changed on 17 September
The familiar DStv ladder of Access, Family, Compact, Compact Plus and Premium is gone for streaming customers. In its place are five new packages — Starter, Select, Sports, Movies & Series and Premium — with new names, new channel line-ups and, in most cases, lower prices than the tiers they replace.
Existing subscribers did not have to do anything: Access, Family and Compact customers were migrated to Starter, Select and Sports respectively, and MultiChoice stressed that no package went up in price. The changes apply to the streaming service; satellite decoder customers keep their current structure for now.
The reshuffle had leaked on DStv’s own website days before launch, forcing the company to confirm details earlier than planned. The official line, delivered by Canal+ Africa’s SA pay-TV chief Byron du Plessis, is that the group is “rewarding” customers willing to commit for longer.
The Five New Packages and Their Prices
| Package | Replaces | Satellite | Streaming |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter (~85 channels) | Access | R150 | R99 |
| Select (~100 channels) | Family | R339 | R299 |
| Sports (~115 channels) | Compact | R479 | R399 |
| Movies & Series (~115 channels) | New tier | R500 | R500 |
| Premium (~130 channels) | Premium | R979 | R799 |
The headline number is Premium at R799 with the access fee included — the price the package commanded roughly a decade ago, and well below the R1,104 a standalone decoder subscriber paid before. The catch is a 24-month Price Lock contract, a mechanism MultiChoice has long used to hold down churn.
Compact Plus, the awkward middle child of the old line-up, disappears: its subscribers move to Premium but keep paying their current charge (R659) for 12 months — an effective free upgrade for a year.
Why Canal+ Is Ripping Up the Model
The numbers behind the overhaul are brutal. MultiChoice lost about 1.2 million active subscribers in its 2025 financial year, on top of 1.6 million the year before, as households traded pay-TV for Netflix, Disney+ and free social video. Canal+, which completed its takeover in late 2025, has backed the turnaround with roughly R2 billion.
The strategy has been consistent all year: no April price increase in 2026 — a first — cheaper decoders, a bill-splitting feature in the MyDStv app, and the folding of Showmax content into DStv Stream ahead of Showmax’s shutdown in April 2026.
Moneyweb’s verdict captures the scepticism in the market: the package changes are “at least five years too late”. The question is no longer whether the model was broken, but whether a leaner DStv can win back households that have already left.
The Sport Question
For the first time, DStv is selling sport as a standalone proposition. The R399 Sports package carries 17 sports channels with all Premier League and Champions League football, all cricket including the SA20, Currie Cup and varsity rugby, one United Rugby Championship match a week, cycling, WWE and UFC, plus general entertainment channels such as Mzansi Magic.
The premium crown jewels stay behind the R799 wall: Springbok rugby, Formula 1, MotoGP, golf and the tennis majors. Du Plessis calls the Sports tier “amazing value” — “I’d be very surprised if you can find all of those sports anywhere else in the world for essentially $25.”
The gamble is obvious: the R399 tier could finally capture football-only households that refused to pay for Premium — or it could cannibalise the very package that still pays the bills.
What We Could Not Confirm
Early uptake figures for the new packages have not been published, and MultiChoice has not said what Compact Plus migrants will pay once their 12-month grace period ends beyond the standard Premium price.
Whether the new five-tier structure will eventually replace the satellite decoder line-up as well has not been officially confirmed.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the new DStv packages and prices in South Africa?
From 17 September 2026 there are five streaming packages: Starter at R99, Select at R299, Sports at R399, Movies & Series at R500 and Premium at R799 a month. Satellite prices are slightly higher, and no package increased in price versus the tier it replaces.
What happens to DStv Compact Plus subscribers?
Compact Plus is discontinued. Its subscribers are migrated to Premium but continue paying their current R659 monthly charge for 12 months — effectively a free year on the top tier before the standard Premium price applies.
Does the R399 Sports package include Springbok rugby and Formula 1?
No. The Sports tier covers all Premier League and Champions League football, cricket, Currie Cup rugby and more, but Springbok rugby, Formula 1, MotoGP, golf and the tennis majors remain exclusive to Premium at R799.
Sources
Connected Coverage
Canal+ has been rebuilding MultiChoice since its takeover — we covered the strategy behind it.
Canal+ Bets Content Remains King as MultiChoice Finds Growth · South Africa News on The Rio Times
Sources: Moneyweb; DStv; MyBroadband.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error
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