MultiChoice cuts decoder prices in Kenya in a festive-season push to woo new customers after losing over three million subscribers in the past year.
New customers will now pay KES 850 ($6.60) for a DStv Zapper decoder, down from KES 1,199 ($9.30), and KES 799 ($6.20) for a GOtv decoder, down from KES 999 ($7.70). Dish kits and antennas have also been discounted, with the offers running until the end of December 2025.
The move mirrors similar price cuts announced in South Africa, where MultiChoice, now wholly owned by French broadcaster Canal+, reduced the retail price of its HD DStv decoders by 30% and by more than 40% on its new DStv online store.
In its full year for the period ending in March 2025, the company had lost 2.8 million active TV customers across Africa over the past two years, with half of them in South Africa, where DStv subscriptions declined by 8% in 2025 alone.
In Kenya, DStv subscriptions plunged to 188,824 by June 2025 from 1.2 million in the previous year, while GOtv dropped from 2.8 million to 314,520, according to the Communications Authority.
The two brands accounted for most of the 77% contraction in the country’s broadcasting market. Combined, MultiChoice has now lost over 6 million subscribers across Africa in under two years, a sharp correction that reflects the pay-TV giant’s toughest period yet.
Analysts say the company is under growing pressure as households abandon traditional pay-TV for cheaper and more flexible options.
Netflix’s mobile plan starts at KES 200 ($1.55) monthly, the same price for Showmax, MultiChoice’s streaming platform, which starts from KES 200 ($2) for its entertainment plan. Pirated sports feeds and free-to-air channels have further eaten into its market.
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Frequent price increases in Kenya have also alienated loyal users. MultiChoice has raised subscription fees five times in three years, with DStv Premium now costing about KES 11,700 ($91) monthly.
Nzola Miranda, managing director of MultiChoice Kenya, said the new festive offer is meant to “make it easier for families to connect with the content they love.”
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