In Ghana Canal+'s MultiChoice is Forced to Use Show Pony Minister to Announce Its Restructured DStv Packages Reduced to 4 From 5 November

by Thinus Ferreira

In its most politically problematic market in Africa, Canal+ and MultiChoice on Monday had to grovel behind the scenes and resort to Ghana's show pony minister to make the pay-TV operator's announcement that it is reducing its DStv packages from 6 to just 4 as part of the continent-wide restructuring of DStv bouquets that came into effect on 17 September in South Africa.

Ghana's ministry of communications, digital technology and innovation has long been a thorn in the side of MultiChoice - and now also Canal+ - with the pay-TV company that behind the scenes agreed to hold a "joint press conference" on Monday to announce MultiChoice's DStv package changes.

Minister Sam George has been on a protracted feud with MultiChoice, threatening to shut down the pay-TV service in the country.

While what a private commercial company does or doesn't do has nothing to do with a government minister, Canal+ and MultiChoice played nice to prop a microphone in front of Ghana's blabbermouth minister to hog some limelight and feel appeased.

Similar to Canal+ and MultiChoice's press event on Monday in Kenya in East Africa, the company and minister announced in Ghana in West Africa that the DStv packages will be simplified to just four.

MultiChoice Ghana CEO Alex Okyere confirmed that also in West Africa MultiChoice's packages will now be DStv Starter, Select, Sports and Ultimate, and also here come into effect on 5 November.

Premium (which is kept in South Africa), is also being rebranded as Ultimate in Ghana, similar to the rest of sub-Saharan Africa outside of South Africa.

DStv Starter will cost GH₵50 with 90 TV channels. Select will cost GH₵100 for 123 TV channels. Sports will cost GH₵250 per month, while Ultimate will be priced at GH₵570 per month and includes premium sports content and entertainment.

Sam George wanted to make as if it were due to him that DStv prices are being reduced in Ghana - although in reality it's Canal+ and MultiChoice that made a macro decision for the entire Africa that has nothing to do with just Ghana.

Speaking at the press conference, Sam George announced that the DStv Sports package would be cheaper than what DStv Compact was before at GH₵875

"Any family that was paying GH₵850 or GH₵250875 when the ministry came into office and is going to pay GH₵250 now, will be saving GH₵500. That's more than a 60% reduction," he said.

Nigeria will likewise have DStv Started, Select, Sports and Ultimate.

ALSO READ: Canal+ and MultiChoice Reduce DStv Packages in Sub-Saharan Africa to 4, Premium Rebranded as Ultimate, Adds SuperSport Swahili as New Channel for East Africa: 'Our Customers Left Us and We Hope from 5 November They Start Coming Back'

Canal+ and MultiChoice Reduce DStv Packages in Sub-Saharan Africa to 4, Premium Rebranded as Ultimate, Adds SuperSport Swahili as New Channel for East Africa: 'Our Customers Left Us and We Hope from 5 November They Start Coming Back'

by Thinus Ferreira

While Canal+ and MultiChoice restructured its DStv packages in South Africa into 5 bouquets, the rest of sub-Saharan Africa will get a reduced and more simplified structure of just 4 DStv packages, with no Movies & Series package and the top-tier package, DStv Premium, rebranded as DStv Ultimate.

The restructuring of DStv packages in East Africa comes as Canal+ and MultiChoice saw a continued dramatic loss and churn in DStv subscribers in Kenya, as its third-largest market on the continent.

According to the Communications Authority of Kenya, Canal+'s MultiChoice lost another 57 000 DStv and GOtv subscribers in the first half of this year, dropping to 653 066.

In Botswana in Southern Africa, Canal+ and MultiChoice are sticking with 5 packages like in South Africa, but Premium is also changed to Ultimate.

In West Africa, like Ghana, an announcement was also made on Monday that DStv's packages are reduced to 4, like in East Africa.

In Uganda on Monday, at MultiChoice Uganda's head office in Kampala, MultiChoice Uganda also announced the reduction to 4 packages: Starter (Shs25,000), Select (Shs60,000), Sports (Shs100,000) and Ultimate (Shs185,000).

Hassan Saleh, MultiChoice Uganda CEO, said "Our focus is on giving subscribers better value and access to the entertainment they love".,” Saleh said during the launch at the company’s head offices in Kampala on Monday.

On Monday, MultiChoice Kenya announced that the restructured DStv packages, which came into effect from 17 September in South Africa, will roll out in East Africa from 5 November, in addition to the launch of SuperSport Swahili.

Similar to the restructure that came into effect in South Africa last month, Canal+ and MultiChoice will now have DStv Starter, DStv Select and DStv Sports as its packages. 

There will however, be no Movies & Series package that in South Africa replaced DStv Compact Plus, with DStv Premium as the most expensive fourth package being renamed as DStv Ultimate.

In East Africa, Canal+ and MultiChoice are reducing its 6 DStv packages to just 4.

In a statement, the pay-TV provider says "The new line-up introduces four DStv packages: DStv Starter at KES 750, DStv Select at KES 1,500, DStv Sports at KES 3,000 and DStv Ultimate at KES 7,300."

DStv Starter will have 116 TV channels, including Maisha Magic Plus, Maisha Magic Loko, Cartoon Network, Disney Junior, La Liga and Novela+. SuperSport Kickoff is a new TV channel added to this bouquet that will show selected live matches from major football leagues, including the Premier League.

DStv Select costs KSh1,500 and will have 149 TV channels, with a mix of movie channels, local and international series, selected football and other sports, lifestyle content and children's programming.

DStv Sports, priced at KSh3,000, will have 159 TV channels, including all Premier League matches, the UEFA Champions League, Europa League, and Conference League. It will also feature WWE and UFC content, along with general entertainment channels available on DStv Select.

DStv Ultimate will cost KSh7,300 and have 180 TV channels.

Instead of a separate Movies & Series package like in South Africa, this content of this separate package is folded into DStv Ultimate that also includes access to Formula 1, MotoGP, cricket, rugby, ATP tennis and golf majors.

Notably, the price of DStv Ultimate has also been reduced by KES4,400 from KES11,700 to KES7,300.

TVwithThinus asked Canal+ and MultiChoice why the available DStv package offering is being reduced to just 4 bouquets, and why DStv Premium is being rebranded as Ultimate and not kept "Premium" like in South Africa.

Comment will be added here when received. 

On 5 November, SuperSport Swahili will launch as a new Swahili-language sports channel for East African DStv subscribers with the sports channel that will be available in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.

SuperSport Swahili will carry Premier League football, UEFA competitions, La Liga, Serie A, international football, athletics, UFC, WWE wrestling, as well as local and regional sports programming.

SuperSport Swahili will carry Swahili commentary and analysis.

At the launch event on Monday for the restructured DStv packages that took place at the Radisson Blu Nairobi hotel, Nzola Miranda, MultiChoice Kenya CEO, said "This marks a defining moment in our 30-year journey in Kenya. For the first time, we have undertaken a comprehensive review of our entire product portfolio, reimagining and simplifying our package offerings to reflect the evolving needs, preferences and realities of Kenyan consumers".

Nzola Miranda admitted that the restructured DStv packages and price reduction is part of Canal+ and MultiChoice's strategy to win back some of the millions of subscribers the pay-TV company lost the past four years.

"You either increase prices, you get more money from fewer people, or you increase the number of customers, even if they pay less," Nzola Miranda said.

"We are now embarking on a journey to have more and more customers join us and watch football, sports and entertainment seamlessly."

"We now belong to a global group with a different philosophy. The more people who watch our content, the better. That is why we are making our content available to more people and not restricting it to some."

"Increasing prices without adding content or value is worthless. That is why some of our customers left us, and we hope from November they start coming back," Nzola Miranda said.

"We need to meet where the pockets of Kenyans are. This is the start of another 30 years for us to stay here in Kenya."

MultiChoice Kenya will continue to invest in localised production in Kenya, like the drama series Chamaa, which is placed on the Maisha Magic Plus channel on the cheapest DStv Starter package.

"There have been long debates on how we protect our local industry and make content more accessible. By putting Chamaa at our lowest price point, we want more households to see it," Nzola Miranda said.

ALSO READ: In Ghana Canal+'s MultiChoice is Forced to Use Show Pony Minister to Announce Its Restructured DStv Packages Reduced to 4 From 5 November

Part 1 | M-Net at 40: Diminished and Damaged but Still Desirable

by Thinus Ferreira

The luxury Los Angeles coastal enclave of Malibu is experiencing a complex shift where it remains immensely luxurious and highly desirable, yet its market is threatened and rapidly changing due to macro-environmental influences it has little control over.

M-Net in South Africa, turning 40 years old on 26 October 2026, is Malibu: Forced into a dual new reality - existing in a highly fragmented market facing severe environmental, practical and commercial hurdles, although its foundational exclusivity means that it hasn't lost its allure.

M-Net's landmark 40th anniversary marks a pivotal moment to evaluate its transition from South Africa’s undisputed premium broadcaster into a survivor navigating the turbulent waters of modern broadcast media. 

The Streaming Tsunami and the Netflix Effect

When M-Net first launched in October 1986 in South Africa as the country's first-ever pay-TV channel, it was an audacious, revolutionary experiment. 

It transformed South Africa's monochrome media landscape, introducing a glamorous, aspirational television pipeline that brought Hollywood straight into suburban living rooms. 

For decades, the "We Won't Stop the Magic" held a fierce monopoly on premium home entertainment. But decades later, the arrival of global streaming titans, most notably Netflix, shattered this once impenetrable TV fortress.

Netflix did not just compete with M-Net: It fundamentally altered consumer behaviour. South African audiences, long accustomed to linear schedules and appointment viewing, quickly grew hooked on the dopamine-driven world of on-demand binge-watching offered by the YouTubes, Disney+'s and the Netflixes of the new video epoch.

The convenience of streaming exposed the rigid architecture of traditional broadcasting. As Netflix and YouTube aggressively scaled their presence and content library and have their streaming services in the hands of people through mobile devices, M-Net's status as the sole gatekeeper of high-end entertainment began to crumble.

The Studio Exodus: A Bleeding Catalogue

The damage inflicted by streaming went far deeper than just a shift in consumer habits. It triggered a catastrophic realignment of global content distribution. 

Historically, M-Net functioned similarly to HBO in the United States, serving as the localised home for first-run blockbusters and premium international dramas. If a critically acclaimed show aired on HBO, Warner Bros., or Disney, South Africans knew they could find it on M-Net - and only on M-Net.

That golden era of seamless licensing has evaporated. 

As global media giants launched their own direct-to-consumer platforms - such as Disney+, Paramount+, and HBO Max - they began systematically clawing back their intellectual property and funnelling their own content to their own streaming services.

The consequences for M-Net over the past five years have been severe. 

Major international studios began migrating their premier portfolios off third-party platforms like M-Net to fuel the growth of their own streaming networks. No more HBO-anything for M-Net, for instance.

M-Net found itself in a devastating licensing vacuum, stripped of the exact high-calibre American programming that had defined its identity for forty years.

Overshadowed by the Attention Economy

Simultaneously, M-Net's cultural real estate has been fiercely encroached upon by the rise of social media and the broader attention economy. 

In 1986, M-Net vied only with the state broadcaster, the SABC. In 2026, it competes against the infinite, algorithmic pull of TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram.

The shared cultural moments that M-Net used to orchestrate - such as the country stopping to watch the uninterrupted Sunday night 20:00 movie - have been largely replaced by the isolated glow of individual smartphone screens. 

Pop culture relevance is no longer dictated solely by what is broadcast on a premier TV channel like M-Net; it is crowd-sourced and curated on social media timelines. 

The modern viewer's attention span has fractured, making the traditional concept of sitting down for a scheduled, linear television broadcast feel increasingly foreign to younger demographics.

The Premium Pricing Paradox

This loss of premium content coincided with an intensifying affordability crisis. 

M-Net has historically been tethered to the DStv Premium package, the crown jewel of MultiChoice's pay-TV ecosystem. 

For decades, affluent South Africans willingly paid a steep premium for this access. But as inflation squeezed household budgets and the actual value proposition of the package degraded, DStv Premium began to feel like an expensive, outdated luxury. M-Net was locked away for Premium subscribers only.

So while it remained aspirational and desirable, it also increasingly became completely unattainable. And out of sight means out of mind.

The pain felt by loyal DStv subscribers intensified as the price to get M-Net kept climbing while MultiChoice bosses swimming in their massive annual bonuses had no care or clue about they made M-Net - already a premium-shelf salad at Woolworths that's beautiful to look at but with an exorbitant till price - even more marginalised and unaffordable.

Faced with paying a hefty monthly fee for a diminishing linear content catalogue, many DStv subscribers faced an easy mathematical choice: Discard the expensive DStv satellite package in favour of a curated stack of cheaper, independent streaming subscriptions.

The Canal+ Takeover and Identity Crisis

These commercial headwinds culminated in a historic corporate realignment. 

French broadcasting giant Canal+ aggressively acquired MultiChoice in a multi-billion-dollar takeover. 

While this massive consolidation injected crucial global capital and formed a combined pay-TV powerhouse spanning tens of millions of subscribers, it also introduced a profound mid-life identity crisis for M-Net.

As Canal+ works to stabilise MultiChoice's shrinking underlying revenue in South Africa, M-Net faces the daunting task of reinventing itself, caught between its historic American-influenced heritage and its new role as a localised node in a French media empire.

The Resilient Core: Why the Allure Endures

Yet, much like Malibu, despite the shifting tides, eroding coastlines, and structural threats, M-Net refuses to lose its foundational prestige. 

It remains viable, highly desirable, and structurally resilient for a simple reason: Its unmatched legacy of local curation and prestige packaging.

For generations of South Africans, M-Net is woven into the very fabric of national pop culture. 

Icons ranging from Trevor Noah to the legendary Shaleen Surtie-Richards had their star power amplified within the M-Net family. 

Even as international licensing falters, and the M-Net channel's local content has diminished dramatically from what it used to be, the blue ribbon channel behind a "watch-paywall" remains an institutional force. 

The Sunday night ritual of the investigative powerhouse Carte Blanche followed by a marquee film remains an unshakeable appointment viewing tradition for many.

While M-Net no longer has the multi-million rand budgets or desire to make Survivor SAs or MasterChef SAs or Egolis or telenovelas like Legacy, M-Net has pivotally adjusted its strategy by investing as far as it's possible in high-end, localised co-productions. 

By shifting its focus somewhat from imported Hollywood content to premium, high-production-value African storytelling like White Lies and Invisible, M-Net has slowly been digging a type of unique new moat that global streaming services struggle to replicate overnight. 

In a landscape flooded with generic international options and pastiche TV formats, M-Net's evident desire to craft and acquire elite-type TV storytelling is still evident. 

It builds a sense of community and premium status that internet algorithms cannot match. Tied to the broader MultiChoice ecosystem - which still boasts an indispensable grip on premium African sports coverage - M-Net remains a premium lifestyle anchor that TV households are hesitant to completely let go of. 

At 40 years old, M-Net is undoubtedly bruised, radically altered, and no longer the undisputed, most desired TV brand in the living room. 

But through 40 years of deep cultural and pay-TV integration, with an enduring commitment to high-end local storytelling and programming curation, M-Net proves that true prestige doesn't disappear when the market changes. 

It learns how to survive in style.

Canal+ and MultiChoice to Relaunch Simplified DStv Packages for Rest of Africa in November: 'Nigeria is Changing, and So Are We'

by Thinus Ferreira

Canal+ and MultiChoice LicenceCo. will relaunch its restructured DStv packages in the rest of Africa in November, two months after it implemented its DStv bouquet changes in South Africa on 17 September.

While DStv Premium will stay as Canal+ and MultiChoice's most expensive and top-end bouquet, the pay-TV service will rejig and introduce DStv Starter, DStv Select, DStv Sports, and DStv Movies & Series, for a total of 5 packages.

The South African market already has this since 17 September.

Kemi Omotosho, Canal+'s MultiChoice Nigeria CEO, on Thursday evening told ad buyers and ad execs in Lagos, Nigeria, that "Nigeria is changing, and so are we".

She told attendees at The Royal Box in Victoria Island that Canal+ and MultiChoice will launch the DStv packages across the rest of sub-Saharan Africa, including the West African nation, from November.

Kemi Omotosho said the four new DStv packages is part of a drastic simplification of DStv's offering to try and offer more flexibility, greater choice and more value at specific price points to existing and potential DStv customers.

"Our focus is on reaching more house­holds, delivering compelling con­tent and creating greater value for subscribers and commercial partners," she said.

In East Africa, what used to traditionally be MultiChoice Africa's third-biggest market but saw massive subscriber declines the past few years, MultiChoice Kenya also announced and confirmed that the structural DStv package changes will come into effect from November.

In a message sent to existing DStv subscribers, MultiChoice Kenya said "We're excited to share that we will be refreshing our DStv package offerings in November".

"The new package lineup will be introduced in phases across the continent, giving you an even easier way to navigate your DStv options and choose what works for you."

Teaser in-house DStv adds also started running in countries ranging from Zimbabwe and Botswana to Malawi, Tanzania and other markets.

Earlier this year, after Canal+'s takeover of MultiChoice, David Mignot, Canal+ Africa CEO, said that radical simplification of DStv's packages and decoder offering is on the way.

David Mignot said MultiChoice had too many price points and packages for Africa.

"In MultiChoice markets we have DStv for DTH [direct-to-home], GOtv for DTT, Showmax and DStv streaming in OTT [over-the-top], and there are also a wide mix of premium channel brands and local channel brands."

"We know from our experience at Canal+ in Europe and Africa that this isn't what consumers want. They want simplicity. They want value for money, and that's exactly what we are going to give them".

"Rationalising our brand portfolio is another thing we can do to improve our position in Africa and make better use of our marketing investment," he said.

ALSO READ: DStv Media Sales Execs Wine and Dine Nigeria's Ad Buyers at Glitzy 10th Sales Event to Assuage Fears: 'Our Digital Tech Stack in Nigeria is Ahead of Most European Markets Within Canal+'

International Preschool Channel JimJam on DStv the Next to Get Dumped by Canal+'s MultiChoice after 13 Years

by Thinus Ferreira

The international preschool TV channel JimJam provided by AMC Networks International (AMCNI) is the next linear TV channel that Canal+'s MultiChoice will lose on its DStv service.

JimJam is being yanked from DStv after 13 years on 11 November with no explanation given to DStv's customers as to what the specific reasons are.

JimJam was added to DStv in November 2013 and is notably the very last remaining TV channel distributed by AMC Networks International that still remained on DStv.

TVwithThinus asked Canal+ and MultiChoice in a media query what the reasons are why JimJam is ending on DStv.

MultiChoice confirmed that JimJam will end on 11 November and said the TV channel is going away "as DStv continues to review and refine its channel line-up" but declined to give any reasons.

Sthembiso Semenya, MultiChoice spokesperson, said "DStv continues to invest in preschool children's entertainment including PlayRoom, which brings together local and international programming for young viewers".

"Families can also enjoy preschool entertainment on Cartoonito, CBeebies and DreamWorks, depending on their package. Visit the DStv TV Guide to explore what’s available for your family."

Canal+ has been busy with aggressive corporate cost-cutting since it took control of MultiChoice in late 2026.

Shocking MultiChoice Subscriber Mismanagement as Legacy Showmax and DStv Customers Suddenly Have Subscriptions Hiked From R99 to Thousands After Canal+ Package Changes

by Thinus Ferreira

In shocking and callous DStv customer mismanagement by MultiChoice and Canal+, legacy subscribers have suddenly seen their monthly fees skyrocket from R99 to thousands - with MultiChoice adding insult to injury by making it as difficult as possible - if not impossible - to provide help to get it fixed.

After Canal+ dumped MultiChoice's Showmax streamer, Showmax-only subscribers were offered a 12-month option for R99 per month to get DStv Stream - on the condition that they do not disconnect.

Suddenly, after Canal+ and MultiChoice changed the packaging structure of its DStv bouquets, these subscribers are getting bill shock, in some cases totalling thousands of rands, as MultiChoice haphazardly and out of control moved subscribers to things they don't want and haven't signed up for.

As bad as the errors is Canal+'s MultiChoice in actually properly addressing it and helping customers who are reaching out to the media in desperation, and venting publicly after they can't get any help from the pay-TV service's supposed "customer service".

A customer vented publicly, saying "I took up the R99 price lock offer for DStv Stream. But now when I try to make a payment it requires R389. That's not what I signed up for and the 1 year is not up."

"They're billing me R800 and I also subscribed to the promotion," said another DStv subscriber, while yet another added: "Please explain to me how I subscribed to your R99 promotion for a year after you took over Showmax, then today I woke to a bill of R389.32, including a Stream Sport subscription that I know nothing about? That I can't even dispute? Why?"

Even worse: When these subscribers call MultiChoice, aggressive agents tell them they are wrong, need to pay and can't help.

"DStv consultants are saying the promotion has been discontinued," noted an angry subscriber - which can't be true because MultiChoice isn't allowed to renege on a price-lock contract.

A DStv subscriber who was on a DStv Compact promotion of R100 per month, woke up to see MultiChoice having moved him to the Sports package costing hundreds of rands more - with no explanation.

"My R100 promotional subscription disappeared. What on earth is going on here? When I call the MultiChoice call centre, nobody can assist," he says.

Tonderai Majuru says "Not only does it say I should pay R1 148 but you unilaterally cancelled my DStv Compact subscription, gave me a Sports subscription and hiked my account".

TVwithThinus sent MultiChoice a media query with several questions about the problem.

In response, MultiChoice issued a statement, saying "The R99 offer for eligible former Showmax customers is still in place, with customers being moved to the new DStv Sports package at the same price and on the same terms."

"Some customers experienced issues during the migration, which have since been addressed. If any customers are still experiencing issues with the offer, we encourage them to contact DStv customer care for assistance."

MultiChoice was asked specifically that DStv customers are saying that they've tried to fix the shocking DStv billing problems and got no help and was asked where exactly these concerned customers sort this out and who do they need to speak to or call and for specific details.

MultiChoice says customers can do a Whatsapp chat. Besides that DStv customers can also do an inbound call, or live chat on the DStv website. "All of this is on our website under the Contact us tab".

MultiChoice says "customers who are experiencing this issue will all be assisted, our technical teams are working on it".

MultiChoice's Borromean Rings: M-Net, kykNET and Springbok Rugby are Deliberately Grouped Together: 'Three Content Streams Which are Extremely Popular'

by Thinus Ferreira

MultiChoice deliberately interlinks M-Net, kykNET and Springbok rugby together on DStv and while the latest DStv package restructuring is opening M-Net and kykNET up to a larger subscriber base by downtiering these two out of Premium, Canal+ and MultiChoice, like the Charmed sisters, are well aware of, and are harnessing the magic of the "Power of the Three".

These three extremely sought-after content funnels are what power Canal+'s DStv Premium by far and are the core drivers of DStv premium uptake and keeping them subscribed.

Waldimar Pelser, M-Net director for premium channels, says "We like to group Springbok rugby and kykNET and M-Net together. These are three content streams which are extremely popular with South Africans".

"We also see a lot of English viewers watching kykNET because so little English drama is produced these days in South Africa. kykNET is the viewing of English viewers looking for authentic South African drama content."

With Canal+ and MultiChoice's adjustment to the DStv packages, channels like M-Net, BBC Earth, Discovery and others which have always been DStv Premium locked, are now included and down-tiered into the cheaper Movies & Series package.

This allows more DStv subscribers, at a lower price point, to now get access to channels like M-Net (DStv 101) and the premium content on that channel.

"It's important for us in the design of these DStv packages to enlarge the Afrikaans world a little bit," he says.

"kykNET is now available on the new Movies & Series package, which is big news for us. It's also the home of M-Net and the top M-Net Movies channels watched by many kykNET viewers."

"If you're not a sports-watching home, and there are those, then there's another package where you can view kykNET."

"The kykNET & Kie channel is included in the new Starter package and we want as many viewers as possible to enjoy Afrikaans content," he says.

"The Afrikaans content we produce costs much more than the Hollywood content we broadcast, so it's very important for us to protect this investment."

"How we do it, is that we broadcast the new programmes where the most viewers are, and that's between 18:00 and 21:00 on weeknights."

ALSO READ: kykNET Now Channel with Most Viewers on DStv Premium After MultiChoice Correctly Predicted the SABC Would Drop Afrikaans Output Post-1994

MultiChoice Guts DStv Indian Bouquet by Axing 5 TV Channels Without Price Reduction

by Thinus Ferreira

In a shocking move that has caused outrage and disgust with DStv's Indian subscribers, MultiChoice is gutting its DStv Indian bouquet and axing 5 TV channels.

Adding insult to injury is that MultiChoice is apparently not decreasing the price, meaning that DStv subscribers paying extra for the Bollywood content are not just losing TV channels they love but will be paying the same for essentially much less content.

Also very noteworthy and pointed out to me by a subscriber: MultiChoice has cut all of the North Indian channels in Hindi language. The remaining channels are South Indian with a totally different language.

The changes to the DStv Indian bouquet add-on come after Canal+ and MultiChoice restructured its main offerings into new packages from 17 September. 

MultiChoice told DStv subscribers who pay an additional fee of R280 for the "Add Indian" bouquet that "We are refining the DStv channel line-up to better match how our customers watch and enjoy content".

"Rather than spreading similar content across many channels, we're focusing on fewer, stronger channels to create a simpler viewing experience."

"Your Add Indian add-on remains available in South Africa and you'll continue to enjoy Indian entertainment. We appreciate your continued support as we evolve our offering. We're committed to providing quality entertainment and even better value".

Gone from 31 October 2026 will be SET Asia (DStv 450), Zee TV (DStv 452), SET Max (DStv 457), Zee Cinema (DStv 460) and WION (DStv 461).

The only channels which will remain in the DStv Indian bouquet will be Star Plus (DStv 453), Star Vijay (DStv 455) and Colors TV (DStv 456).

In response to questions in a media query, MultiChoice tells TVwithThinus "As viewing habits continue to change, MultiChoice is refining the DStv channel line-up to match".

"As such, SET Asia, Zee TV, SET Max, Zee Cinema and WION will no longer be available from 31 October 2026 at 23:59 CAT. Rather than spreading similar content across many channels, we're concentrating on fewer, stronger channels, giving subscribers a cleaner, easier-to-navigate line-up and a better viewing experience overall."

"DStv subscribers will continue to have access to a range of Indian-inspired entertainment through channels like Star Plus, Vijay TV, and Colors TV."

"Movie-lovers who have the Add Movies subscription will still have access to Hollywood's latest blockbusters on M-Movies+ and M-Movies Stars."

MultiChoice didn't answer whether the DStv Indian add-on price is being reduced due to fewer TV channels included in it, and if so, to what, or if not, why not.

After Package Changes MultiChoice Suspends Parts of its DStv Rewards Loyalty Programme Until End October, Will Now Wipe Coins for Disconnected Subscribers

by Thinus Ferreira

After changing its various DStv packages in a content restructuring, Canal+'s MultiChoice has frozen parts of its DStv Rewards programme until the end of October, while also making a permanent change to its rewards currency, DStv Coins, that will now expire the moment a DStv subscriber disconnects.

DStv Coins were first introduced in July 2024 when MultiChoice completely overhauled and gamified its DStv Rewards loyalty programme.

Now, in a permanent, latest change, Coins will disappear and be wiped and will no longer carry over the moment a DStv subscriber disconnects.

"As long as you stay connected, you can continue earning, saving and redeeming your Coins as usual. However, going forward, all DStv Coins will expire for disconnected customers," MultiChoice says.

Temporarily on pause until the end of October in DStv Rewards are any and all tracking actions that affect a DStv subscriber's Rewards tier, the ability to claim Add Movies discounts, the option to claim pensioner discounts, and the ability to claim anniversary upgrades.

MultiChoice says "We are freezing certain elements of our Rewards programme until the end of October 2026. You will still be able to earn DStv Coins, enter competitions, claim vouchers, spin the Rewards Wheel, and be entered into prize draws."