MultiChoice is hiking DStv subscription prices in Kenya by 4.7% starting November 1, 2024.

MultiChoice Kenya reports its plans to hike the subscription price of its flagship pay TV network, DStv by 4.7% to 4.6% which respectively impacts the prices of its cohort subscription plan.

MultiChoice’s report about its subscription upgrade did not mention why Kenyans are expected to pay more Kenyan shillings. However, it is scheduled for November 1st as the implementation day of the DStv subscription price change. 

The South African broadcaster reported that the 4.7% subscription increase spreads across its “Premium package” which now costs KSh11,000, “Compact Plus package” costs KSh6,800, “Compact package” costs KSh3,900, and the “Family Package” costs KSh2,100. DStv parent company slightly topped up the value of its pay-TV service. The incremental prices range from KSh100 to KSh500 per DStv’s updated cohort subscription packages that are yet to be implemented. 

MultiChoice CEO Calvo Mawela said: “DStv would like to inform you that MultiChoice will be making changes to some of its DStv subscription prices, effective 1 November 2024.” While the South African-owned pay-tv network awaits November 1st to implement its new pricing policy, DStv parent company also acknowledged that this price increase records the fourth time MultiChoice has hiked subscription fees in Kenya. 

Sometime earlier this year, I came across an announcement from MultiChoice lamenting that the number of active viewers dropped drastically In the country. This serves as an ideal reason why the South African media house broadcaster tweaked an incremental price on its flagship pay-TV network. 

Check the updated DStv pricing in Kenya:

• The DStv Premium will now cost KSh11,000, up from KSh10,500. 
• The Compact Plus subscribers will pay KSh6,800 instead of KSh6,500. 
• The compact package will cost KSh3,900, up from KSh3,700. 
• The family package will rise to KSh2,100 from KSh2,000. 

Although MultiChoice hasn’t publicly disclosed the reasons for the price increase, it’s worth noting that this is the fourth price hike in two years. In April 2024, MultiChoice Nigeria increased subscription prices for DStv and GOtv services by at least 25%. The MultiChoice Nigeria payTV service pricing increment skyrocketed by the multiplication of four, compared to the updated DStv Kenya subscription pricing. 

It’s worth noting that MultiChoice Nigeria hiked both GOtv and DStv subscription prices which hovers at an outrageous percentage. While Kenyans only got a 4% subscription fee which is also exclusive to DStv subscribers.

MultiChoice said nothing about increasing the subscription fee for GOtv viewers in Kenya. This connotes the South African TV broadcaster’s aims at evading regulatory lawsuits that are likely to scold MultiChoice for promoting a pricing system that worries its level of minimal wage per Kenyans living standards. 

⁠MultiChoice is quite keen to push its TV broadcast company plans to focus on scaling and driving growth in its products, including DStv Internet and DStv Stream, and improving business efficiency and cost optimization.