The new packages and what they cost
You can change your DStv package in five ways, and DStv does not charge a fee for any of them. The one cost to watch is a reconnection fee, which applies only if you cancel the subscription outright and then come back later.
This matters right now because DStv started moving every subscriber onto a new set of packages on 17 September 2026. The migration is running in phases, so not everyone moves on the same day. If your account still shows the old package name, you are in the queue rather than left behind, and DStv says you already get the new channels either way.
DStv published these prices alongside the migration. Satellite and streaming are priced separately.
| Package | Channels | Satellite | DStv Stream | Migrated from |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | 85+ | R150 a month | R99 a month | Access |
| Select | 100+ | R339 a month | R299 a month | Family |
| Sports | 115+ | R479 a month | R399 a month | Compact |
| Movies and Series | 115+ | R500 a month | R500 a month | New package |
| Premium | 130+ | R979 a month | R799 a month | Premium |
Premium on satellite is also offered at R799 a month on a 24 month contract, which includes the access fee.
DStv says the automatic migration itself does not raise what you pay. The prices above are the published rates for the new packages. Compact Plus subscribers are not being moved at all and stay where they are, although Compact Plus is closed to new subscriptions.
The detail on what moved between tiers, including which sport landed where, is in the breakdown of the new DStv packages and prices.
Five ways to switch
On the website. Open the DStv Self Service portal at dstv.com, sign in with your cellphone number, surname, Connect ID or smartcard number, go to Account, select Change Package, pick the package and confirm.
On the MyDStv app. Sign in, select your account or decoder, tap Change Package or Upgrade and Downgrade Package, choose the new package and confirm.
On WhatsApp. Save 060 060 3788, send a message such as “Change my package”, and follow the automated prompts.
On USSD. Dial *668#, select the DStv menu, choose Change Package, then pick and confirm.
By phone or in person. Call DStv Customer Care on 011 289 2222, or go to a MultiChoice service centre.
When the change actually happens
This is the part that catches people out, because upgrades and downgrades work differently.
An upgrade takes effect immediately, once any extra payment due has gone through. Your subscription due date does not move.
A downgrade is scheduled for your next payment date. If your account is fully paid up, you keep the current package until that date and the cheaper rate starts from the following cycle. There is no way to force a downgrade to apply mid month, so the timing of the request does not change when the saving starts.
There is no limit on how often you can switch, unless you are on a contract. If you are on the 24 month Premium contract, the contract terms apply and you cannot simply move down.
Cancelling is not the same as downgrading
Switching to a cheaper package costs nothing. Cancelling and reconnecting later does, because a reconnection fee applies when you come back.
If the aim is to spend less rather than to leave, moving down a tier is the cheaper route. On streaming, the gap between Premium at R799 and Starter at R99 is R700 a month, which is R8 400 over a year. On satellite, Premium at R979 down to Starter at R150 is R829 a month.
Households trimming subscriptions is not a new pattern. It is the same pressure covered in the piece on South Africans cutting back on DStv and Netflix.
If you are weighing up what you lose by dropping down, the guide to what happened to Showmax and what to watch instead covers where the streaming content sits now.
Check what you were moved to first
Before changing anything, confirm which package the migration put you on. The old name showing in My Account does not necessarily reflect what you are being billed for once your phase runs.
Three things worth doing:
- Check your package on the MyDStv app or the Self Service portal rather than going off the last invoice.
- Compare the channel list to what you actually watch, not to what the old package had.
- Check whether the sport you subscribe for is still on your tier, since several competitions moved between packages.
If the package you land on carries channels you do not want, the change request takes a few minutes and costs nothing.
Where to check
DStv publishes the package tables, the change process and the fee rules at dstv.com. Customer Care is on 011 289 2222 and the WhatsApp self service line is 060 060 3788.
If a price here does not match what DStv is charging your account, DStv’s own published rate is the one that applies.
