MultiChoice Group has announced that DStv subscribers will not face any price increases this year, marking the first time the Pay-TV operator has held pricing steady in April, a period traditionally associated with annual subscription adjustments.
Speaking to TechCentral, David Mignot,the chief executive officer of MultiChoice Group, explained that the decision reflects the company’s renewed focus on rebuilding its relationship with subscribers under the new leadership of Canal+.
Mignot emphasised that now is not the right time to raise prices, stressing the focus on growing the subscriber base. “Because we are building subscribers, it’s not the right time to increase pricing,” he said.
He added that while no price increases are planned at present, adjustments could still be considered later in the year if factors such as currency devaluation make them necessary.
The decision comes amid growing concerns over subscriber retention. MultiChoice has a history of annual subscription fee increases across key markets, including Nigeria, Uganda, and South Africa. In Nigeria, fees were adjusted multiple times over the past three years: in April and November 2023, again in April 2024, and most recently in February 2025, with changes taking effect on March 1.
Under the latest adjustment, the DStv Compact bouquet rose from N15,700 to N19,000, Compact Plus to N30,000, and the Premium subscription to N44,500. GOtv packages also saw increases: the standard package went from N3,600 to N3,900, GOtv Plus from N4,850 to N5,800, GOtv Max to N8,500, Supa to N11,400, and Supa Plus to N16,800.
Under the new administration following Canal+’s acquisition of MultiChoice in September 2025, Mignot said the company aims to halt customer attrition and focus on sustainable growth.
The latest financial results for the year ended March 31, 2025, underscore the urgency. MultiChoice reported an 8 percent year-on-year decline, losing 1.2 million active subscribers to 14.5 million, following a loss of 1.6 million the previous year.
Over the past two years, the company has shed 2.8 million subscribers and recorded a $576.5 million (R10.2 billion) negative impact from the depreciation of African currencies against the US dollar. The decline is attributed to macroeconomic pressures, piracy, intensifying competition from global streaming platforms, and heavy investment in its streaming service, Showmax.
Mignot, however, stressed that content quality is not at fault. “The commercial engines of MultiChoice, and it’s quite recent, have not been providing enough new subscribers into the portfolio,” he said.
He explained that in any subscription business, a natural churn of 12–15 percent per year is inevitable as people move, lose jobs, or reprioritise budgets. “That means, even if you are super good… if you don’t refill your portfolio of subscribers by 15 percent every year, you will be bleeding,” he added.
He highlighted MultiChoice’s content offerings, particularly sport, as a strong asset: “The depth, the range of content at MultiChoice – SuperSport, M-Net, Africa Magic – is incredible. Investment in content is incredible. But the commercial engine is not powerful enough to sustain the equipped portfolio.”
According to Mignot, the commercial engine was robust until recently. “This commercial engine used to be super powerful, not only in South Africa but across Africa, up to around 2022, so it’s quite a recent situation,” he said.
Mignot cited Canal+’s experience in French-speaking Africa as evidence that a volume-driven, price-stable strategy can succeed. “On the French-speaking side of Africa, the pricing structure we have today has been exactly the same for almost 14 years,” he noted. He described his approach as a “volume strategy” aimed at profitable growth rather than growth for its own sake.
Looking back at the business following the acquisition, Mignot pointed out that the most urgent issue facing the company was the decline in subscribers, emphasising that addressing this trend was a top priority. He noted that immediate action was necessary to reverse the downturn.
