Why DStv is experiencing a rapid loss in support and subscribers
DStv has been making headlines for all the wrong reasons lately...
The September buyout of MultiChoice by Canal+, valued at around $3 billion, created a group present in 70 countries across Africa, Europe and Asia with a workforce of 17,000 serving more than 40 million subscribers.
In 2025, Canal+ completed its largest-ever takeover, and it seemed things were going to turn in a more positive direction for DStv.
According to BusinessTech, the combined group said it aims to position itself as a significant force in the global media industry.
Canal+ now controls all MultiChoice operations, including DStv, DStv Stream, GOtv, and Showmax, and has announced major plans for its various platforms and branches.
READ: World-class dramas and documentaries available on streaming platform, Showmax
It started removing 16 TV channels from the platform, but the Showmax news has shocked South Africans.
Jacaranda FM Newswatch and AFP reported that French media giant Canal+ announced on Thursday, 5 March, that it would discontinue its Showmax service.
LUISTER: Alles wat jy moet weet oor die Afrikaanse weergawe van 'The Office'
This, after Canal+ acquired MultiChoice, the continent's largest pay-TV enterprise and owner of Showmax.
The streaming platform, launched by MultiChoice in 2015, is available in at least 44 African countries and has been a home for African films and TV series.
READ: Say goodbye to these 16 major DStv channels
As of 30 April 2026, Showmax will be officially shut down.
It's no surprise that since the official announcement, MultiChoice's DStv has gone from the undisputed king of South African living rooms to facing an existential crisis.
READ: Major changes coming to online shopping in South Africa
Subscribers are leaving the platform in record numbers, even though it is home to SuperSport, which has secured exclusive rights to nearly every major sporting event, from Springbok rugby tests to the English Premier League.
The subscription service has become a necessary expense, almost non-negotiable in South African households.
The graph below shows how DStv has grown and dropped:
READ: Expert issues warning over fake payslips, bank statements available online in South Africa
According to MyBroadband and the stats above, MultiChoice has lost approximately 2,8-million subscribers across its operations since its peak in March 2023.
The numbers:
- Group subscriber numbers peaked at 17.3 million in 2023
- Have fallen to 14.4 million as of December 2025
- High-value Premium subscribers were first to leave the service soon after Netflix’s 2016 launch
- Growth of 'Compact' and 'Access' packeages were not enough to offset the losses
- MultiChoice's annual price increases accelerated price-sensitive customers to leave
DStv Announces Showmax Shutdown
Rob Forbes and Rozanne McKenzie spoke to Thinus Ferreira, an independent TV critic, writer, and journalist in South Africa, who reports on breaking news in the TV industry on the day the Showmax closure was announced:
"MultiChoice, part of CANAL+ SA ... today announces the forthcoming discontinuation of the Showmax service," Canal+ said in a statement.
"The substantial annual losses experienced by the Showmax business have proved unsustainable."
LISTEN: MultiChoice considers sports-only DStv packages
The move would not cause any job losses, the statement said, adding that MultiChoice planned to deploy its own "in-house large-scale streaming platform" for African and international customers.
Showmax confirmed the discontinuation in an email sent to subscribers, saying the move was aimed at ensuring "long-term sustainability in an increasingly competitive streaming environment".
WATCH: 'Real Housewife' finally unveils jaw-dropping home
The announcement has left many people with unanswered questions.
What does this mean for the future of other DStv operations?
Where will South Africans be able to find such a huge offering of local series and movies that relate to them?
LUISTER: Hierdié 'Mommies' sê nee vir moontlike seisoen twee
And, more importantly, and worryingly, what will happen to all the South African cast, crew, and production companies that had shows, movies and other content on the Showmax platform?
Rob Forbes and Rozanne McKenzie spoke to Thinus Ferreira, an independent TV critic, writer, and journalist in South Africa, who reports on breaking news in the TV industry.
LEES: 'Vaal Riviera', 'n realiteitsreeks wat vier gesinne uit die Vaaldriehoek volg
Known as TV with Thinus online, he has written for publications such as Variety, Netwerk24, IMDb, and other international media outlets.
While attending the 8th Joburg Film Festival, he shared with us what he thinks the Showmax closure means for the local industry, and what South Africans in the industry have been sharing with him:
Here are some of our Showmax highlights from over the years:
Die Afrikaanse weergawe van 'The Office': The Drive with Rob and Roz het met Gert du Plessis, die Suid-Afrikaanse 'Jim', gesels oor die reeks, 'Die Kantoor'.
Hierdié 'Mommies' sê nee vir moontlike seisoen twee: Kyk nou die volle onderhoud met 'The Mommy Club: Van Die Hoofstad' waar hulle geheime en groot nuus deel.
- Francois Jacobs, Chris Jaftha gesels oor gewaagde Afrikaanse film: The Drive with Rob and Roz praat met die 'Khaki Fever' sterre.
- 'Devil's Peak': Rob Forbes and Rozanne McKenzie had the opportunity to talk to the legendary novelist Deon Meyer and one of the incredible actors in this production, Sisanda Henna.
- The Drive with Rob & Roz discussed the critically acclaimed 'Rosemary's Hitlist' with its director: the true-crime documentary, based on former policewoman Rosemary Ndlovu, set the record for the most first-day views on Showmax for any documentary series.
- Ikoon Arnold Vosloo gesels met Rob Forbes en Rozanne McKenzie oor sy nuwe reeks 'Plan B'!
Must-watch Showmax documentaries:
- 'Devilsdorp': The brutal murders that gripped the town of Krugersdorp, the first Showmax original true-crime docu-series.
- "Perfect Bonnie & Clyde story": The documentary 'Tracking Thabo Bester', produced by IdeaCandy, the company behind the SAFTA-winning 'Devilsdorp'.
- 'Brakpan Chronicles' Showmax Original: The two-part documentary series comes from the team behind the SAFTA-winning 'Sex in Afrikaans' and 'Tiek Tok Boem!'
- Shaleen Surtie-Richards word vereer met eksklusiewe dokumentêr: 'I Am Who I Am'.
Tune in to 'The Drive with Rob & Roz', on weekdays from 16:00 – 19:00. Stream the show live here or download our mobile app here.
Listen to Jacaranda FM:
- 94.2
- Jacaranda FM App
- http://jacarandafm.com
- DStv 858/ OpenView 602
Follow us on social media:
Image: MyBroadband