DStv Anmeldelser 

DStv has lost touch with a large part of South Africa

I have been a DStv customer long enough to say this plainly: in my view, DStv is becoming worse, not better.

Since French media group CANAL+ took control of MultiChoice, I have become increasingly concerned about the direction of the platform. CANAL+ obtained effective control of MultiChoice in September 2025 and later completed the takeover. (Groupe CANAL+⁠)

For many Afrikaans-speaking South Africans, Afrikaans television is not simply “content”. It represents our language, humour, stories, history, writers, actors and culture. When favourite Afrikaans programmes, films or familiar content disappear, subscribers are entitled to ask what exactly they are still paying premium prices for.

DStv should remember something very important: Afrikaans people are also South Africans. Afrikaans culture is part of South Africa, and it deserves a meaningful place in South African broadcasting.

Yes, kykNET and Afrikaans productions still exist — including new Afrikaans programming in 2026 — so it would be inaccurate to claim that DStv has removed Afrikaans altogether. (DStv⁠) But that does not mean Afrikaans viewers must simply accept every programming decision without question.

If subscribers believe the service no longer represents them, they have every right to cancel.

Perhaps the Afrikaans community should seriously start asking whether it is time to support and build stronger independent Afrikaans media institutions instead of depending indefinitely on large multinational broadcasters. We are already seeing Afrikaans communities invest in education, universities, schools, cultural organisations and other institutions. Why should broadcasting be any different?

Competition is healthy. Choice is healthy. Cultural independence is healthy.

And regarding government and regulators: South Africans should absolutely scrutinise the decisions made by government institutions and competition authorities when major national businesses change ownership. The CANAL+/MultiChoice transaction was approved by South Africa’s Competition Tribunal subject to conditions and public-interest commitments. (Groupe CANAL+⁠) However, criticism should be based on what government or regulators actually decided, rather than blaming a political party for programming decisions without evidence.

My message to DStv is simple:

Do not take Afrikaans subscribers for granted.

We pay our subscriptions just like everyone else. We expect quality programming, meaningful Afrikaans content and respect for the communities that helped build DStv into the television giant it became.

If DStv no longer wants to serve that market properly, then Afrikaans viewers should be prepared to vote with their wallets.

Maybe the answer is not begging DStv to listen.

Maybe the answer is building something better.

Well, the fact that you don't do Refunds and neither give your customers Recipes why?.... I was at DSTV Isipingo on last Thursday and they didn't solve my issue where i ha just purchased a new Decoder coz my old one was damaged and they didn't take any second to solve my issue all they mentioned was it's still connected and working perfectly on their site but what me. ... Isipingo DSTV BRANCH

I am extremely disappointed and frustrated with the way my account has been handled.

I am a Showmax standalone DStv customer who signed up for the R99 Compact promotional package for up to 12 months. My service was disconnected 9 days ago, and I immediately contacted your Live Chat to resolve the issue.

I was advised that I needed to pay R102.18 for reconnection, which I paid as instructed. However, despite making the payment, my account has still not been properly reconnected.

What is even more concerning is that instead of restoring me to the R99 Compact standalone package that I originally signed up for, my account has been placed on Access, which is not the package I agreed to.

This is completely unacceptable. I have already spent 9 days without the service I paid for, followed your instructions, made the required payment, and my issue is still unresolved.

I require the following to be done ASAP:

Restore my account to the R99 Compact standalone promotional package that I originally signed up for, with the promotional terms honored for the remaining period.
Ensure that I am not charged incorrectly for the period during which my service was disconnected due to this unresolved issue.
If you are unable or unwilling to restore the package I originally signed up for, refund the R102.18 that I paid for reconnection.

Please do not simply place me on another package without my consent. I agreed to the R99 Compact standalone package, and that is what I expect to have restored.

I have already tried resolving this through Live Chat without success. I am therefore requesting that this complaint be escalated to a supervisor/manager and resolved urgently.

I expect a clear response confirming either reconnection to my original R99 Compact package or a refund of my R102.18.

The worst month ever, i bought a dstv internet buddle then it took 2 weeks to be processed then when i tried cancelling i got a message the next following day from Courier saying they'll courier the product that day so i let it be, then the router arrived it was Friday 10 July 2026, on Sunday when i was going to church i got a message saying my internet was locked then on Monday tried getting help they didn't help all day then Tuesday that's when i said that this router is going to give me headache and started the process of cancellation it took me that whole week and remember it has a 7 day cooling off period, then that Friday i was helped but the person who helped didn't lodge my Complaint but gave me a reference for our conversation so then i followed up on monday i called again and that's when i found out that my complaint was not lodged so the person who was helping then gave me a reference too and told me that the Courier will come and get the router and that's then when my cancellation can only be completed then I waited for another week for the courier then it came and picked up the router on 29 july 2026 and i made a call to give them the collection reference number so i again waited for them to change the the account and lock that internet thing on my account then it came another week only that week came with another problem my dstv subscription was discontinued and i have been trying for the company to help me with this internet thing and they have not done that now am supposed to pay for something that i didn't use because of their negligence of agents

So I am showmax customer and showax have gone to Dstv so Dstv to charge me 390 rand I was very upset because there billing system is completely wrong and they are too expensive so I wanted to cancel and Dstv did net let me know before the time that showmax was canceling there discount and everytime when I open my email it gets more I am so dusgeted in Dstv and then I had to spend a bout 60 rand on airtime

This has to be the worst company in the entire history of the worst South African companies, and I'm glad it's falling apart! MultiChoice has now resorted to scamming people because they are literally going BROKE since they started losing subscribers every month!

I got a free trial for DSTV Stream (for 2 months, I think) after Showmax ended and was advised that after the trial ends, I'll be able to get DSTV Compact for R99 pm. I used DSTV Stream until the trial ended and followed the link to subscribe and make the R99 payment. After the payment was done, I still had no access.

I contacted MultiChoice on their chat service on 01/07/2026 and spoke to Thabiso who told me that the R99 offer expired, so I'll have to top up to get DSTV Compact for R399 or take DSTV Access for R99. I declined and asked for a refund. They advised that it will take 48 hours, they will send me a response via email. A week went by and I never got a response.

I went on live chat again on 08/07/2026, spoke to Sophy who told me it doesn't take 48 hours, it actually takes up to 7-14 business days and my refund request was not escalated. They asked for my details, including a copy of my ID and account confirmation letter from my bank. I sent the documents and mentioned to them that it doesn't make sense for the refund to take 7-14 business days if they are asking for my account details to do the refund via EFT, as that can take up to 48-36 hours depending on the bank used. Sophy gave me the reference number 144668226 for the refund request, advised they will get back to me with the feedback. I asked Sophy to allow me to lay a complaint because I was given different stories and the previous consultant treated me like a fool, lied to me about escalating my refund request and the ETA of 48 hours. Sophy refused, promised my refund will be attended to. They sent the complaints details only when I left the chat, which I saw when I went back to the chat today on 22/07/2026.

Today I spoke to Sinovuyo, advised them I'm following up on a refund request, gave them the reference number 144668226 which I got from the previous consultant Sophy. They advised me that the number I got from Sophy is not a reference number for an escalation, its a chat ticket number for the previous chat I had with Sophy. Once again, I was lied to by yet another MultiChoice customer support agent. My case was never escalated. Sinovuyo asked me to send my details (name, id number, address, etc.), they ask for these details everytime you start a chat. I scrolled up to the chat, took a screenshot of the details as I've BEEN sending them, and sent the screenshot. The consultant Sinovuyo said I need to type the details on the chat because they want to be able to copy and paste the details, which I found very appalling! I thought, you asked for my details and I sent them, are you really refusing to assist me all because it's an inconvenience for you to type out the details??? They flat out refused to continue to assist me, insisted that I type out the details myself so that they can do a copy-and-paste. I thanked them and advised them that I will be lodging a formal complaint with ICASA and the Ombudsman, and left the chat.

It's really mind blowing how a huge company like MultiChoice has zero knowledge and zero care about customer service, it actually seems as if they are just tricking people into paying them R99 subscriptions and not delivering on their promises and then refuse to refund the money. I've seen plenty of complaints online about the exact same thing! I will never let go of this, they are nothing but a bunch of shameless crooks and they deserve to be exposed! I'll be reporting this to ICASA, I'll also lodge a complaint with the Consumer Goods and Services Ombudsman! They are literally the worst, no wonder their company is failing, they hire unskilled consultants and run the company like a spaza shop from Tembisa!

To anyone reading this and having the same issue, let's all report them to ICASA and the Ombudsman, we can even report them for false advertising! Do not let it go just because it's R99, that's exactly what these pathetic scammers are counting on!

Loose the broadcast rights for the Springboks games.
It's absolutely disgusting how one company is dividing a whole nation from withholding a match.

embarrassingly poor world cup coverage, terrible stream quality.

They repeat shows to a level that is so so annoying. One of my favourite channels in 182, the National Geographic.
Each time I open it, the bigger amount of the time, they play snakes in the city.
Today, from somewhere past 2 pm to 12:am, they have been playing snakes in the city - that is more than 8 hours.
How crazy is that
Hours on end, playing snakes in the city.
Is catching snakes the only thing that they can think of?

DSTV costs a lot of money, it is high time you start respecting the subscriptions that we are paying.

We had DSTV for 15 years and it's always been repetitive and bad, we always had problems, for example, it's always been expensive.

Useless stuff called 5 times first call was put on hold till the call drop second time call just drop while I was explaining 3rd 4th and 5th time no one picked up...what is customer service when we won't get help on the first call I was told they will get back to me now and I was put on hold what is really happening to that call centre I've been waiting for an hour now and I'm calling no one is picking up😡😡😡😡😡

I am very pleased with DStv’s new pricing approach. I had previously left DStv because the subscription fees had become too expensive, particularly given the growing number of cheaper alternatives available in the market. However, my recent experience has been very positive. I have found the current premium I am paying to be fair and affordable, while the quality and range of content have been impressive, including what is available on the more budget-friendly packages.

I would strongly encourage DStv to continue with more affordable subscription options. The television and entertainment market has changed significantly with the growth of streaming platforms such as YouTube and other alternatives. In this environment, I believe a volume-based business model, where affordable pricing attracts and retains a larger number of customers, may be more sustainable than charging high premiums and serving a smaller customer base.

I would also recommend exploring more flexible options, such as pay-per-use or the ability for customers to select and pay for their own preferred channels. These options could help retain customers like me after the World Cup. I initially returned to DStv because of the World Cup, but I have since been genuinely impressed by the current changes, the value offered and my overall experience. If DStv continues in this direction, I would be much more likely to remain a customer beyond the tournament.

I want to thank Khensani who helped my with my account and explained in details all the information that I need she is the best agent Ouw we need the professional and positive attitude agent like her she the star💐

I would have given no stars if i could, the service is useless and they trap you in a package with no option to cancel or upgrade you have to call them but they never answer. We really need a different sports provider in South Africa this is so shit.

I am very outraged about the service of one of your consultants. She was very rude and disrespectful. She doesn't have manners, which was supposed to be checked, to qualify for the job she does.I am very displeased by your service and unecessary payment for proof of payment.

So Dstv was sold to the French company Canal+, I was paying R995 but now pay R1,229 an increase of R234 which is a 23% increase!!!!!
On top of this they have cancelled Showmax!!!!
Will be terminating my account soon!!!!

Can someone please explain to me why Shoxmax ended. I was watching Landman which has a season two on ShowMax. It is now on DSTV IN AFRIKAANS?????????? WHAT IS GOING ON????

Не ми пуснаха песента която искам да поздравя близък човек с нея

I am writing to express my absolute outrage and deep distress regarding the service I have received over the past two months. This is not just a billing dispute; the persistent errors by your staff and systems are now actively harming my child’s education and my financial stability.

January 24, 2024: I inquired about a contract settlement for my router at a walk-in center. I explicitly told the manager I could not afford the R1,730 at that time and did not authorize a cancellation.

February 5, 2024: While I was in the Eastern Cape, my contract was cancelled without consent, and I was billed R1,800.

Router Transport & Cape Town Visit: I had to personally arrange and pay for the transport of my router from the Eastern Cape back to Cape Town to resolve this at a contact center. Despite being told "everything would be fine," the center's systems have been down for over a week.

Current Status: Every time I seek an update, I am told the "system is down." I have settled the account with money I could not spare, and yet I still have no service.

Because your system is down and my account is in disarray, I have no data. My child is currently unable to do their homework at home. I am being forced to ask neighbors for help or pay for expensive mobile data just so my child does not fall behind in school. This is a humiliating and unnecessary position to be in because of MultiChoice’s internal failures.

I no longer have the patience for "system errors." I require the following within 24 hours:

Immediate Refund/Balance Correction: I want my balance cleared and the credit I paid returned or applied so I can actually use the service.

Activation of 400GB Plan: If you cannot activate the promised 400GB plan immediately, I demand a full refund of my settlement so I can move to a provider that actually functions.

Compensation for Transport and Data: I have incurred extra costs transporting the router and buying emergency data because of your unauthorized cancellation. I expect these costs to be credited to my account.

If this is not resolved immediately, I will be taking this matter to ICASA, Consumer Goods and Services Ombud (CGSO) and the National Consumer Commission, as you are currently depriving me of a service I have paid for.

I expect a phone call from a senior manager who has the authority to fix this manually if your "system" is still down.

Sincerely,

Athel Linda Ndzule

0712914713

Well done, the support is doing a great job. My channels went blank for a while but after a chat with support they came back up