A pop-up message on subscriber screens notified subscribers of the impending changes scheduled for December 31.
“Dear DStv customer, please be advised that Discovery Channel, TLC Africa, TLC South Africa, Discovery Family, Real Time, TNT Africa, Food Network, Travel Channel, Investigation Discovery, Cartoon Network, Cartoonito, and CNN International may no longer be available from 31 December 2025 at 23:59 CAT,” read the pop-up in part.
“Please visit www.dstv.com for our latest content lineup.”
The potential loss comes as MultiChoice navigates dwindling subscriber numbers and stiff competition from streaming platforms such as Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Showmax, as well as illegal online services.
Data from the Communications Authority shows that active DStv subscribers in the country fell sharply from 1.19 million in mid-2024 to just 188,824 by June 2025.
Meanwhile, the digital‑TV service GOtv, also under MultiChoice, fell to 314,520 subscribers by the same period, down from ~2.8 million.
The move threatens to reduce MultiChoice’s premium and family entertainment offerings, putting additional pressure on the firm as it seeks to retain subscribers amid costly packages and an increasingly challenging pay-TV landscape.
