by Thinus Ferreira
MultiChoice Kenya has announced a big price hike of up to over 8% for DStv Kenya and GOtv Kenya subscribers from September 2021, saying the monthly subscription fee increase is due to MultiChoice having to absorb an increase in the pay-TV company's operating costs in the East African country and the weakening of the country's Kenya shilling.
MultiChoice Kenya is hiking its subscription fees similar to MultiChoice Uganda that also announced a price hike for DStv Uganda and GOtv Uganda subscribers from September 2021, as well as MultiChoice Tanzania hiking prices for DStv Tanzania and GOtv Tanzania subscribers.
MultiChoice Ghana is also hiking prices for DStv Ghana and GOtv subscribers in the West Africa country from September by up to over 6%.
MultiChoice Kenya in a statement said that the pay-TV operator has "over the past year absorbed increase content costs and foreign exchange impacts, due to the weakening Kenya shilling".
"We review the prices of each of our packages very carefully every year to ensure that we continue to offer our customers the best local and international content, delivered through the best technology. As our costs to operate the business increase, we need to adjust the prices of our packages," MultiChoice Kenya says in a statement.
From 1 September 2021 MultiChoice is hiking DStv Premium from KES7 900 (R1 063) to KES8400 (R1 130) - an increase of 6.32%.
Access fees will increase by KES50 for all DStv packages.
From September MultiChoice Kenya is increasing the price of DStv Compact Plus from KES4 800 to KES5 100 (6.25% increase), DStv Compact from KES2 650 to KES2 800 (5.66% increase), DStv Family from KES1380 to KES1500 (8.69% increase), and DStv Access from KES1 000 to KES1 050 (5% increase).
GOtv Max in Kenya increases 7.4% from KES1 070 to KES1 150, GOtv Plus increases 6.74% from KES815 to KES870, and GOtv Value increases 7.8% from KES510 to KES550.
