Multichoice Zimbabwe announces new bouquet prices for DStv

Nigel Gambanga Avatar
Supersport
Are channels like this sports centre worth an extra $48 per year? Multichoice thinks so

For The Latest DSTV Prices As Of November 2016 Go Here

Just two days ago it was confirmed that Multichoice, the Naspers owned Pay TV service would be effecting a price increase on its DStv bouquets.

It has become the norm actually (they have tagged it as an “Annual Price Increase”), with DStv Zimbabwe, like every other subsidiary, following the same route.

Today the new prices, which are effective from 1 April 2015, were announced, with US$1 increases for the three lowest priced packages (Access, family and Compact) $4 increases for Compact Plus and Premium and a $5 increase for HD PVR Premium. XtraView Access fee has also been increased by $1.

 

BOUQUETCurrent Monthly Price ($US)New Monthly Price ($US)
Access1011
Family2021
Compact3132
Compact Plus5155
Premium7781
HD PVR Premium8792
XtraView Access Fee1011

 

One of DStv’s selling points has always been its sports coverage, specifically European football which has a cult following locally. Live matches are available on Supersport which is accessible on Compact Plus, Premium and HD Premium packages. It’s hardly surprising that these 3 bouquets are the ones that carry higher price increases.

Multichoice has always justified these annual price increases by citing rising operational costs, challenges with inflation and acquiring content etc. It’s up to other DStv subscribers to choose to believe any of that.

I think it’s just a game of plain old monopoly. With FTA decoders no longer an option and a local broadcaster that….let’s not go there… Multichoice is the only player that has firmly established itself as the consistent provider of  TV entertainment.

We might have a “slew of sources” for movies and series but even if you consider those options plus the few workaround cases where people have adopted streaming services (the big disruptor everyone is waiting for) DStv has no competition.

It’s even more apparent if you are a sports fan and want to watch live Barclays Premier League or La Liga matches from the comfort of your home. It’s not that wide a choice really; just So Much More DStv or nothing at all.

Nov 2016 UPDATE: DSTV Considers Letting You Select Your Own Channels

52 comments

  1. Anonymous 2

    I haven’t owned a television in a few years. ZBC stopped being an option long ago and DSTV now pales when compared to what good internet and a weekend at the theatre can offer me (based on my preferred type of content. Not into sports or soapies and what is this big brother kardashian thing anyway?). I guess now is their time to shine but people can have long memories when they feel hard done by. There’ll be an exodus the day real competition comes up.

    1. Lil’ Mule

      Echo, Anonymous 2. We were being ripped off.

  2. ADM

    Totally unjustified increase which they will get away with, as always!

  3. Jack

    Stopped paying these robbers some time back. I love sport but will not pander to thieving SOBS.

  4. tinm@n

    All it needs is someone to bring in HD-quality sport, and DSTV’s back will be broken…. prices would be normal.

  5. clint

    I love my sport but want the ability to select what I want to watch and pay for that. I don’t watch any soccer so see no reason why I need to subsidise someone else for this. Come on DSTV, give us the power to pay for the sport we want to see, not pay for what we don’t!

  6. waddilove

    Competition where art thou, we really need an alternative player because this is becoming outrageous.

  7. Evans

    The reason for price increase in RSA was for inflation since the rand is falling. What is the reason for those who are using a US$?

    1. Anonymous

      I agree – daylight robbery….there is absolutely NO justification for this price increase and it was far to expensive in the first place!!!! Disgraceful…

  8. Beloved

    When life gives you a lemon make lemonade.
    My only concern is the repeat of programs, but at the end of the day my 75 year old mum has something to entertain her even if the increase is a $1.00. Im blessed so don’t complain just count your blessing and pay the extra REMEMBER GOD IS IN CONTROL. HAVE A BLESSED DAY

  9. Magneto

    I have never cursed on this forum before but I think am about to…#WhydoesDSTVtakeusforgranted

  10. blaz

    Dear Multi choice Zim
    Will be migrating to S.A Multi choice for two reasons…1) its cheap and 2) its has more channels.And dont threaten anyone its not illlegal its just like roaming and the agreement you had with Multi-Choice S.A is none of my business.

  11. don

    tel one is bringing cable tv soon dont worry gentleman i have faith in the new manager

  12. Zuze

    I think the only way round this is by streaming live matches online. Streaming gives you the option for all the matches and you choose the one you want.

    I was in town recently and could not rush home to catch the Tottenham v Arsenal clash. Since I was at an internet cafe, I just decided to stream the match and guess what? It worked a treat. No lagging. No screen freeze. I remember trying to stream a match live while on Powertel during their days of the $1.20 a day promotion and it was just about watchable. So imagine the results with faster internet speed providers.

    DStv have a monopoly virtually across Africa and they do as they please. Ridiculous increment to be honest.

  13. Ripped Off

    The $1 increase on the lowest bouquet translates to 10%, how does DSTV justify that. In SA all the increases were below 10% and the access did not even increase. And with us using the US$, we should be getting price reductions. WE NEED COMPETITION FOR DSTV, THEY ARE ROBBERS

  14. Ripped Off

    Can some tech savvy person start and circulate an online petition to DSTV against these unjustified price increases. And to make matters worse, we do not benefit from most of the promotions tat they run and yet we pay more than SA. No to this abuse

  15. Noob

    Any sites good for streaming when in Zim? i.e. English, good quality ?

  16. TendyT

    I just pay $11 for the sake of my son, he loves cartoons other than that I have no use for DSTV, what a bunch of crooks !!!!!

  17. manana

    the opera bundles can stream so I now go.for the internet these days

  18. candy

    the prices are too much considering viewership. reasons of price increase should be followed by good service delivery, 1. more channels 2. improved signal on rainy or cloudy days 3. improved payment processes etc if not that then really WHY?

  19. Kikidzai

    They keep adding useless channels in order to justify these increase. Surely when the rand is falling against the dollar, those of us paying in dollars must actually get a reduction. It appears this is just an annual event they have grown used to and they just make it happen regardless of circumstances. You guys are real douchebags.

    1. Jonathan

      Lol pidigu nekuseka yah channels like Eva,telemundo,black belt kkkkkkkk nxa

  20. DDX

    l live in a place where you can’t get multichoice or if it is possible the prices would be outrageous. Anyway l am lucky the internet is fairly reliable, uncapped and reasonably cheap.

    l do not watch much of the local tv due to language and content issues. However l am not totally left behind. l am a sports fan so l watch streams. On a daily basis depending on the season, l can watch rugby, basketball, motorsport, football, rugby or other sports. As l have said before l am into sports other than that l have no use for tv but l am aware of a number of sites for movie and series all totally free.

    As l speak l am watching the WI v India match. l think eventually this could be an option for Zim but that would need the power to be stable and the fees and broadband to be at such a level as to make this a viable option.

    As for streams its not always good. Sometimes the picture is not great or the sound or they may even be broadcasting in a language l am not familiar with. There is also the issue of the streams being taken down for rights issues but so far so good. One of the funnier drawbacks is someone switching the channel as you are watching! However this has rarely occurred and there are loads more of streamers if you are prepared to look. Generally l use about three sites and they are very reliable.

    Generally, though, l am able to watch anything l want with little trouble.

    Well here’s to hoping for a day when that happens over there.

  21. Anonymous

    We are paying the most as Zambian in the southern region I think. While yr still at 70$ we are at 100$.time to quit dstv

  22. Clive Chikomo

    Paid for A/C 43025174 through ecocash . Please actvate my A/C. I am now in the Shurugwi area of Zimbabwe.

  23. Anonymous

    Nxca

  24. jason Ndlovu

    how can i pay using icocash?

  25. Jonathan

    Lol pidigu nekuseka yah channels like Eva,telemundo,black belt kkkkkkkk nxa

  26. Jonathan

    kkkkkkkk zvirinani you know kuZimbabwe tomboona idols toputika nekuseka

  27. me

    Let’s organize a campaign against this they absolutely taking advantage of the market in an unfair manner

  28. tate

    DStv Zimbabwe has just announced news that will infuriate all football fans in Zimbabwe. Super Sport 3, the traditional home of the English Premier League (EPL) will no longer show most games from this division starting this coming season due to start on Saturday 8 August. The company says all EPL games will now only be available on Super Sport 5.

    This means if you want to enjoy all EPL games on DStv, you will have to bump up your subscription for this month and onwards by paying for the Premium bouquet.

    The company announced the bad news on Facebook and Twitter and has already received damning feedback from subscribers.

  29. mune

    your prices are now out of reach as compared to other Nations,we need justification on that please

  30. Lawrence

    If dstv doesn’t want to operate in this country they must leave. I know competition is coming soon and their actions will catch up with them. just like it was with “netone”

  31. chinos

    Why not come up with bouquet for
    sports channel only some of us
    dont give a hoot about all other channels

  32. ndashayisheyi

    spot on Chinos.they should have separate boutiques for sport. movies, cartoons,music,gospel, local dramas. documentaries…..etc.or even giving consumers the option of paying a certain fee per channel, so that one can only pay only for those channels of choice.

  33. Archie

    i have written numerous emails to Multichoice Zimbabwe regarding pricing but the lady who has replied me has been totally off topic as if she is a robot with a pre-cooked answer..

    Please advise if its possible to to have an online petition on this matter..in SA, premium is only 670 rand (us$56.00) which is the price of compact plus here in Zim..Please assist..as i would like to start an online petition as soon as possible..

    We are talking about the US$ here and the country is in deflation..so there is absolutely no reason whatsoever for a price increase.

    this is just one of three complains i have against Multichoice Zim.

  34. sbu

    repetition of old old movies has become a trend we need new stuff hello

  35. Farai

    Iam going back to compact buquet becoz the compact plus no longer has english soccer. l mean wth this economic situation i cant commit more cash chasing EPL.

  36. Tony

    Ya is the us$ going down as well,I know we are getting short changed,all we get are boring “behind the scenes & repeats & the making of some movie ,that I wouldn’t watch anyway” , but what really gets my goat is u lot even make up our minds for us as well by removing BBC E channel 184 from the premium bouquet (Zimbabwe only) reason being there’s not enough people that want to watch it,REALLY !!!!!!!!! are you serious , I don’t remember there being a referendum or public questioneer to the fact, who the hell are u to make up our minds that pay u lot in US$ ??????? But in RSA they watch it, there are a lot of educated people north of the Limpopo that have more than 3 brain cells , that appreciate good, interesting ,informative, quality international programs , obviously u lot don’t.
    And the time will come when competition will come knocking on “multi choices door”.

  37. machonyonyo

    u have stopped being professional

  38. smocky

    pay more for old old movies kkkkkkk

  39. Diane Klement

    Is it true that we are not getting the new BBC 119 Channel?

  40. Maxwell Ndawona

    Why can’t DSTV have pay perview, since we are experiencing power shortages can’t they operate like what zesa is doing, having prepaid so that we are not short changed of hard earned cash. No power you are not charged rather than being when actually you not watching anything because of these power cuts. Lets have a fair deal than just ripping us on monthly basis. Do something that we all benefit.

  41. cute p

    I hev gone for S.A multi choice.these robbers I quit

  42. Isiah Shumba

    Try to justify your attitude. Zimbabweans are always getting every services at higher prices, please have mercy on our fate as Zimbabweans.
    Why high prices on us.
    Please stop it.
    Give and support our will to enjoy watching Dstv.

  43. C Palmer

    So typical of Zimbabwe. Get rich quick at the expense of the man in the street. Is it true we are paying for the house that burnt down on Mozambique?

  44. Johann Warnich

    Dstv Zimbabwe is just a money maker, taking advantage of us all. why can’t we get A decent service? So many repeats!!

  45. salimu

    DSTV to me it’s history, kutowana USA rei pasina bhora,RSA kana vachiwana bhora rese ne$30.(us),zvakanaka,migration ngaiitwe

  46. Bryan

    Dstv Zimbabwe is just a money maker, taking advantage of us all. why can’t we get A decent service of what we are paying for , especially selection of channels in each bouquet ?

  47. H.E.B. Makoni

    Why do we no longer have British comedies such as Keeping up Appearances, Hello, Hello, Love Thy Neighbour, Some Mothers do have them etc…Equally, some variety on the Geographic channels 181-184 would do instead of the boring aquatic programs shown these days.

  48. Fed Up

    Zim charges are a rip off for sure. And as you say gone are the days when they used to have good programmes.
    We need competition for sure.

  49. Emmanuel Mataruse

    Why cann’t DSTV equate the prices of Zim to SA, in Zimbabwe we pay twice more than those paid in SA.

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