DStv wants to raise subscription fees by 20% in Angola - but needs regulatory approval which it so far has been denied.

MultiChoice wants to raise DStv's monthly subscription fees by up to 20% in Angola, but the satellite pay-TV operator, a franchise division in that country of and run by Jembas Assistência Tecnica, needs regulatory approval before it would be allowed to do so.

According to Expansão's Friday edition, the operator asked the Angolan Institute of Communications (Inacom), for approval to increase prices, but so far Inacom has rejected the application, and negotiations between DStv and Inacom is now taking place.

MultiChoice Angola CEO Eduardo Continentino wants a DStv price hike of 20%. Price increases without the approval of Inacom is however a violation of Angola's Law on Electronic Communications and Information Society Services (LCE).

Inacom's Leonel Augusto told Expansão that negotiations are currently taking place between the regulator and the pay-TV operators of DStv, ZAP and TV Cabo regarding possible price increases.

DStv increases of 20% in Angola would mean that the DStv Easy package would go from AKz 1,650 to AKz 1,980, with DStv Grande that would increase from AKz 4,180 to AKz 5,000.

In February 2018 the pay-TV operator ZAP increased prices before and without seeking regulatory approval, which led to a hefty fine being imposed on ZAP.