DStv Slashes Decoder Prices by Up to 40% Starting November 2025
In a bold move to stem years of subscriber losses and lure back viewers from the clutches of streaming giants like Netflix and Showmax, MultiChoice – now fully under the wing of French media powerhouse Canal+ – has announced steep discounts on its DStv HD decoders.
Effective November 1, 2025, prices will drop by 30% in retail stores and a whopping 40% through the company’s new online DStv Store, making premium satellite TV hardware more accessible than ever.
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The price cut, which slashes the standalone HD decoder to as low as R300 (about $17 USD) in South Africa – or R700 including installation – comes as DStv celebrates its 30th anniversary with a flurry of subscriber perks.
Byron du Plessis, CEO of MultiChoice South Africa Pay TV, hailed the changes as a “nod to our legacy,” emphasizing how they aim to “make joining and reconnecting with DStv easier and more affordable.”
This is Canal+’s first major strategic play since acquiring MultiChoice earlier this year, signaling an aggressive push to fortify DStv’s dominance in Africa’s pay-TV market.
The discounts are set to ripple across key markets, including Nigeria, Kenya, and South Africa, where DStv has bled subscribers at an alarming rate.
In 2025 alone, the platform lost 1.2 million users in South Africa – an 8% plunge – while Kenya saw an 84% drop, from 1.19 million to just 188,824 active users over the past year.
Analysts attribute the exodus to skyrocketing subscription fees, economic pressures like inflation and currency devaluation, and the siren call of on-demand streaming services offering flexible, ad-light viewing.
Earlier in the year, MultiChoice had hiked package prices multiple times – such as in April and May in South Africa – drawing backlash from regulators and consumers alike.
But the decoder deal is just the appetizer. To sweeten the pot, MultiChoice is resurrecting the beloved “Open Time” promotion from DStv’s 1995 launch. From November 7 to 9, all active decoder subscribers will unlock full Premium access – including blockbuster sports, movies, and entertainment – at no extra cost, evoking a wave of nostalgia for South Africa’s TV golden era.
Premium loyalists get even more: two extra all-device streams through December, bumping simultaneous viewing to four devices per household.
These incentives are decoder-exclusive, a subtle nudge toward hardware ownership over pure streaming.
| Market | Original HD Decoder Price (Standalone) | New Price (Online Store Discount) | Key Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Africa | R500 | R300 (40% off) | Targets urban households switching to OTT; includes installation bundles at R700. |
| Nigeria | ₦20,000 | ~₦12,000 (40% off, est.) | Builds on June 2025’s 50% promo; counters 1.4M subscriber loss since 2023. |
| Kenya | KSh 6,000 (est.) | ~KSh 3,600 (40% off, est.) | Aims to reverse 84% drop; focuses on rural penetration amid mobile streaming rise. |
Industry watchers see this as a high-stakes gamble. “By lowering the entry barrier, Canal+ is betting on hardware to hook users into long-term subscriptions,” noted one analyst, warning that slimmer margins could strain profitability in volatile economies.
Yet, with over 560 streaming platforms vying for Africa’s screens, the move underscores a hybrid future: satellite TV bundled with apps like the upcoming Canal+ super app, which will merge DStv, GOtv, and Showmax content – plus potential Netflix tie-ins – under one roof.
For now, the buzz is electric. Social media is abuzz with #DStvOpenTime trending, as families dust off old decoders and dream of Premier League marathons without the premium sting.
Whether this anniversary glow-up reverses DStv’s fortunes remains to be seen – but one thing’s clear: in the battle for eyeballs, affordability just became MultiChoice’s sharpest weapon.
