DStv is testing weekly subscriptions to win back viewers
Its parent company, MultiChoice, is rethinking how the Pay-TV channel works in a tougher economic climate.
After months of subscriber losses and mounting economic pressure across key African markets, DStv owner MultiChoice has decided it may be time to try something new, and now, they've started testing weekly subscriptions.
The company quietly began testing this more flexible payment option in Uganda, and if it works, it could soon roll out across the continent.
Over the past year, MultiChoice has seen its subscriber base shrink by 1.2 million users, dropping from 15.69 million to 14.51 million as of March 2025. About half of those losses came from South Africa alone, where inflation and rising unemployment have forced many households to cut back on non-essential expenses, including pay-TV. Even in Nigeria, where DStv implemented a sharp 31% price hike, the economic strain was simply too much for some users to keep up.
Kelechi Edeh
That’s what makes the weekly subscription idea so significant. Instead of being locked into a monthly plan, Ugandan users can now pay for DStv one week at a time, an approach MultiChoice CEO Calvo Mawela compares to how prepaid mobile airtime changed the telecom game. The trial has been running for about seven weeks already, and the company says it’ll know in three to six months whether to expand it elsewhere.
The idea is pretty straightforward. Align subscription payments more closely with people’s income patterns, especially in regions where many earn weekly or through informal work. It’s a small change on the surface, but it could make DStv feel a lot more accessible for users who want premium content but can’t always afford to pay for a full month upfront.
But that’s not all MultiChoice is considering. There are also ongoing discussions about unbundling SuperSport, its premium sports content, from the standard DStv packages. Such a move would give users more control over what they’re paying for, especially those who just want general entertainment without the added cost of live sports. Back in 2021, the company tested something similar with a product called “DStv Flex,” which let users toggle their sports access on and off depending on the season.
Currently, none of these changes are final. But they all point to one thing: MultiChoice is rethinking how DStv works in a tougher economic climate. Whether it's through weekly payments or modular content, the message is clear: flexibility might be the key to keeping customers around.
Louis Eriakha
