MultiChoice, the parent company of DStv, has announced a dramatic price cut on its satellite decoders, effective November 1, 2025, marking the most significant strategic maneuver since the company came under the effective control of French media giant Canal+.
The price slash, which will see DStv decoder costs drop by up to 40% for online sales and 30% at retail outlets across key African markets, is a direct response to what the company has termed “unprecedented headwinds” that have triggered a steep decline in its subscriber base.
MultiChoice has been struggling to retain customers amid severe economic pressures, high inflation rates, and intense competition from the booming streaming market. The company reported losing approximately 2.8 million active subscribers across Africa in just two years. The Nigerian market, one of its largest, accounted for a substantial portion of this exodus, shedding 1.4 million users between March 2023 and March 2025.
The subscriber loss followed a series of controversial subscription price hikes implemented over the same period, driven by volatile exchange rates and operational cost increases.
By reducing the entry cost of its hardware, MultiChoice aims to lower the barrier for new and returning customers, particularly in cost-sensitive regions like South Africa, Nigeria, and Kenya. In South Africa, for example, the price of a standard HD decoder is expected to fall from R999 to approximately R599 online.
The timing of this announcement is highly significant, arriving just weeks after Canal+ completed its mandatory takeover offer and took effective control of the African pay-TV operator in September 2025 for $2 billion.
