DStv is undergoing a major reorganization of its package structure in South Africa, planning the launch of five new streaming options on September 17. This move by MultiChoice aims to maintain competitiveness in the face of a tough streaming service market, offering customers more choice between sports and entertainment content.
Furthermore, some existing subscribers may receive a very favorable offer: DStv Compact Plus subscribers will now have access to all Premium content without needing to pay the full Premium package price. MultiChoice confirmed this agreement to MyBroadband. Essentially, this means that Compact Plus users get the Premium channel lineup while paying R250 less than subscribing to streaming Premium, or R330 less than subscribing to satellite Premium.
For reference, streaming Compact Plus costs R549 per month, and the decoder version is R649 per month. DStv Premium costs R799 for streaming and R979 for the standard monthly package with a decoder. However, there is an important condition: the Compact Plus package is effectively being phased out and will no longer be available to new customers. Nevertheless, current Compact Plus customers will continue to pay the existing tariff, retaining Premium benefits in the foreseeable future. MultiChoice informed MyBroadband that this agreement will be effective monthly, and any future changes will be communicated to affected customers.
New DStv Packages
With the launch of the new package lineup on September 17, DStv has more clearly divided its offering into sports and entertainment categories.
The new entry-level paid package, Starter, which replaces DStv Access, costs R99 for streaming and R150 for satellite. It includes over 85 channels and is aimed at users who need basic entertainment content rather than premium sports. Existing Access customers are transitioning to the Starter package.
The Select package, replacing DStv Family, costs R299 for streaming and R339 for satellite. This is a significant change as the Mzansi Magic channels and full PSL coverage have been moved to this tier. It offers over 100 channels and is positioned as a broader family/general entertainment package.
DStv has created a specialized sports package called Sports, which costs R399 for streaming and R479 for satellite. It contains over 115 channels, including 17 dedicated sports channels. However, the package is not purely sports-focused; it also includes entertainment channels such as Mzansi Magic, M-Net Stars, BBC Brit, TLC, Zee Zonke, and children's channels. It features the Premier League, UEFA Champions League, PSL, cricket, local rugby, UFC, and WWE, along with one URC match per week. Elite sports like Springbok rugby, Formula 1, golf, and ATP tennis remain exclusive to the Premium package.
The Movies & Series package, priced at R500, boasts over 115 channels, including M-Net, M-Net Movies+, kykNET, Discovery Channel, BBC Earth, and Mzansi Magic. It also includes 10 sports channels and full PSL coverage, moved from the Select package, but does not provide premium live sports competitions available in the Sports and Premium packages. The R500 price is the same for both streaming and satellite broadcasting.
Premium remains DStv's most comprehensive package, providing access to all SuperSport channels, as well as M-Net, M-Net Movies+, kykNET, Mzansi Magic, and the rest of the DStv channel catalog. While the standard monthly satellite package costs R979, DStv offers the satellite service for R799 per month when signing a 24-month contract. The new DStv packages and pricing take effect on September 17, 2026.
Other Streaming Options
Although DStv offers customers a more competitive suite of products designed to meet various viewing needs, several other streaming services provide access to extensive entertainment catalogs at lower prices, although generally without the wide range of live sports offered by DStv.
Disney+ offers plans starting from R49 per month. The new basic plan, previously limited to phones and tablets, now works on TVs and monitors and provides one simultaneous stream up to 720p HD. The Premium plan at R179 per month allows for 4K viewing, up to four simultaneous streams, and content downloads. The new Disney+ app is available in South Africa and includes updated features and parental controls. Both plans contain the same content library, including classic and modern Disney films, Pixar and Marvel content, and National Geographic.
The basic R49 plan is currently available through MTN Play, not directly through Disney+.
Netflix starts from R59 per month. Netflix Mobile is available in 480p standard, while Netflix Basic costs R99 per month and offers 720p HD. The Standard plan is R179 for 1080p Full HD, and Premium is R229 for 4K. The service offers a wide range of original series, licensed television programs, movies, documentaries, local South African productions, and children's content.
Amazon Prime subscription also starts from R59 per month and includes benefits for purchases on Amazon.co.za. In terms of streaming content, subscribers gain access to a substantial international catalog, including original Amazon projects such as Reacher, Fallout, Clarkson’s Farm, and Citadel.
Apple TV, starting from R124.99 per month, differs from Netflix and Disney+ in that instead of offering a large catalog of licensed films and TV shows, it focuses on original productions such as Ted Lasso, Severance, The Morning Show, Shrinking, and Dark Matter. Apple claims that new releases are added weekly, but its catalog is significantly smaller than that of some of its competitors.