by Thinus Ferreira
DStv subscribers who want to save money and still get the same content - especially DStv Premium subscribers - should immediately downgrade their subscription to one lower package, so that they get upgraded, automatically, in December to their "usual" package but paying the lower monthly fee.
Yesterday afternoon MultiChoice announced that from 10 November to 31 December 2025, DStv decoder subscribers will be upgraded by one DStv subscription bracket.
That's very bad news for Dstv Premium subscribers on the highest and most expensive tier since they're not getting an upgrade to additional content, although they're paying the most and are supposedly the most valuable customers and biggest contributors to MultiChoice's ARPU (average revenue per user).
Lower-tiered DStv subscribers are upgraded for free until the end of 2025 by one tier level but do not pay the subscription fee of that level. DStv Premium subscribers are not upgraded and have to keep paying the DStv Premium subscription fee.
Consumers, especially DStv Premium subscribers, should however consider and find out about the possibility of downgrading right now to one lower DStv tier.
If this is possible, a DStv Premium subscriber who downgrades to DStv Premium Compact Plus, will then be bumped back up to DStv Premium in December - the tier the customer was on, although only paying the monthly fee of DStv Compact Plus.
Similarly, DStv Compact Plus decoder customers who are able to downgrade now to DStv Compact, would be moved back up to DStv Compact Plus but pay the lower fee for DStv Compact.
This theoretically would work for all DStv package tiers. It makes no sense as consumers who are concerned about their discretionary monthly spending, to keep paying more for "so much more" when you can pay less and then still get the same - at least for December 2025.
Contact MultiChoice immediately and ask a customer service agent on the phone at 011 289 2222 (get ready to wait, since you're going to be on hold for a long time, but be persistent) if you can downgrade immediately by one package level.
Ask if you will be moved up at the end of November automatically, without paying that price.
If you decide to use the online DStv chatbot TUMI - don't! The tabsolutel horrible hing doesn't work and won't help with what you really need to accomplish as a MultiChoice customer. Keep typing "agent", "agent", "agent" until a service agent who is a human, "enters the chat".
Also be prepared: MultiChoice's service agents here are disinterested in helping. Personally, I've never been helped satisfactorily once with this. Also be prepared for them to enter chat conversations and leave, and come back after long waits on every single reply.
These customer service agents are obviously doing multiple chats at the same time. After your responses, you will wait for a very long time.
And you have to sit and check, or they will close the conversation when you didn't respond. So you have to answer immediately when they respond, although you will wait very long until they suddenly pop back in and go "Are you still there?"
You will be put off by this and be frustrated, so rather do a phone call about your account, and if you do the chat, be prepared to battle, wait and match wits with someone who is actually having multiple typing conversations going on besides yours, at the same time.
By downgrading one tier, if you're able to you will still get the same viewing and DStv content, atl least for one month, although you will be paying less.
It will take some effort, but why waste money paying for your existing DStv tier, when you can get it at a lower subscription fee?
