MultiChoice Suspends Annual Price Hikes for DStv and GOtv Subscribers
In a significant policy reversal, MultiChoice has announced the suspension of its customary April price increases for DStv and GOtv subscribers. This decision marks a notable strategic shift under the new majority ownership of French media giant Canal+, which completed its acquisition of MultiChoice in September 2025.
Strategic Pivot Under Canal+ Ownership
David Mignot, the chief executive of MultiChoice Group, confirmed in an interview with TechCentral that subscribers will not face a price hike this April. Historically, April has been synonymous with tariff reviews, with MultiChoice often citing inflation, currency pressures, and rising content costs as justifications for increases. As recently as April 2025, prices rose by between 2.1% and 7.9% across various bouquets, with the popular DStv Premium package climbing from R929 to R979 per month.
This year's freeze signals a clear departure from that pattern, driven by Canal+'s focus on stabilizing and growing the subscriber base. Mignot, a pay television executive with three decades of experience, has made it his objective to halt subscriber losses and return the business to growth. While he ruled out an April increase, he acknowledged that future price adjustments are not entirely off the table, depending on economic factors such as sharp currency movements or major cost pressures.
Subscriber Losses and Financial Impact
Behind the decision lies a stark reality: MultiChoice has experienced significant subscriber losses over the past two years. In the period ending 31 March 2025, the company lost 2.8 million linear broadcasting subscribers, with around half of those losses occurring in South Africa. In the 2025 financial year alone, 1.2 million subscribers dropped off, an 8% year-on-year decline, leaving the group with 14.5 million active customers. The previous year saw an even larger fall of 1.6 million subscribers.
By June 2025, Canal+ indicated that the pace of subscriber decline had accelerated further, raising concerns about the sustainability of the traditional pay-TV model in a market increasingly shaped by streaming platforms and tighter household budgets. The financial impact has been substantial, with revenue for the year ended 31 March 2025 falling by R4 billion to R52 billion, and trading profit dropping sharply by 49% to R4 billion.
Focus on Content and Volume Growth
Mignot argues that the company's difficulties are not primarily rooted in content quality, as flagship brands like SuperSport, M-Net, and Africa Magic continue to anchor its offering. Instead, he points to weakened commercial execution and subscriber acquisition. In subscription businesses, annual churn of 12-15% is normal, but the challenge lies in replacing lost customers with new ones at a similar pace.
To address this, MultiChoice is leaning on a volume-driven strategy similar to Canal+'s approach in French-speaking African markets, where pricing has remained stable for nearly 14 years while subscriber numbers grew. Mignot has not ruled out possible price reductions in the future, though no such decision has been taken.
What Subscribers Can Expect
The price freeze comes ahead of Canal+'s first combined financial results presentation since the takeover, scheduled for 11 March, which is expected to outline the group's broader strategy. For now, DStv and GOtv subscribers can expect stable bills in April. Whether holding prices steady will reverse subscriber losses remains to be seen, but the message from new ownership is clear: growth now takes priority over price hikes.
This move aligns with earlier efforts by MultiChoice to enhance affordability, including price cuts on DStv decoders, adding more channels to entry-level packages, and introducing shared payment options. As competition from streaming platforms intensifies, these measures aim to retain cost-conscious households and stabilize the customer base in a challenging market environment.
