The Shrinking Discount: DStv Quietly Raises Prices on “Promotional” Decoders

If you were eyeing a new DStv decoder during the broadcaster’s ongoing Thol-iUpsize promotion, you may have missed the best deal. While the campaign is still officially running, the discount on the entry-level HD Single View decoder has quietly become less generous, with MultiChoice hiking the promotional prices midway through the sale period.

The promotion, launched in early November 2025, initially slashed the price of an HD Single View decoder without installation from R799 to a sharp R299. With installation, the price dropped from R1,299 to R699. However, as spotted by MyBroadband, those promotional tags have since crept up. The same decoder now costs R499 without installation and R799 with installation under the “promotion” – still a discount, but a notably smaller one.

A Promotion in Flux

MultiChoice, now owned by Groupe Canal+, has not responded to queries about the mid-campaign price adjustments. The Thol-iUpsize promotion, originally set to end in December 2025, was extended to 31 January 2026. It also allows customers to upgrade their subscription package for free and has since added discounted offers for the higher-end Explora 3B decoder (R999 from R2,299) and the streaming-focused DStv Streama device (R499 from R799).

A Chaotic Backdrop: Channel Rescues and Losses

The pricing shifts come after a tumultuous period for DStv’s channel lineup. In late December, the service narrowly averted a blackout of 12 Warner Bros. Discovery channelsincluding CNN, Discovery, and Cartoon Networkafter parent company Canal+ struck a last-minute, multi-year deal. This saved popular HBO-inspired content like Game of Thrones and The Last of Us from disappearing.

However, the victory was partial. With the shutdown of Paramount Africa’s local operations, four channelsBET Africa, MTV Base, CBS Reality, and CBS Justicewere permanently removed from the DStv bouquet at the end of 2025.

For consumers, the message is a mix of relief and recalibration. While a major channel loss was dodged, the decoder “sale” now requires closer scrutiny. What was once a deep cut has become a modest trim, reminding shoppers that in the world of promotions, the only constant is to always check the fine printand the current price tag.